Never Let You Go
by SexyJokerLovers
Summary: Jillien Harding wanted to leave her past. And when the opportunity came , she took it. She wanted to leave Gotham. She wanted to discard her emotional trauma. But the Joker wouldn't have it. He didn't want her to go because he still had feelings for her. And he hoped, she still felt something for him too.
1. The Joker's Wish

**SexyJokerLovers:Okay, so this is my attempt to write an awesome Joker fanfic based on Heath Ledger's Joker. So, long story short, he was in Arkham for about three months, and got out recently, but no one knows about it. Now, this is from the point of view of an innocent girl named Jill.  
**

Freedom. That was all I longed for. And now I had it. I was leaving Gotham for good, never to return to it. Ever since I got sought out by the New York times, it felt like a huge weight has been lifted off of my chest. Gotham just had too many memories. Too many wounds that never healed.

I would have left right after college, except, being the procrastinator that I am, put it off until I either had a good enough reason or the money to. For most of my life, I've lived between the middle and lower class of Gotham, which meant that I wasn't poor, but I didn't have money often. When I graduated form high school, I was offered a full scholarship to Gotham University for my excelled grades in math and Writing. Once there, I majored in journalism, and thus began my career as a reporter here.

The pay is decent, and I get to write about all the goings on in Gotham. it always gives me a thrill because I was given the crime section of the paper, and I always had the low down and secret information on criminal activities and mischief. Once I saved up enough money, I planned on hitting the road. I was just going to drive, any place I wanted, just to get away. But, I sat down and thought it out, and determined that I would probably not make it in a new city, with no job, and no where to live. So I kept on waiting for a better opportunity to come along.

Now it's here, and I can't wait to get out of this rat hole. Living here for sixteen years was enough for me. Simply the thought of me, getting out of this place I despise so much, gave me Goosebumps. My heart rapidly began to beat as I deepened the thought. I've never liked Gotham. Ever since I moved here when I was nine, I hated it. The air was polluted, still is, and a large mob scene was located here. I went back to thinking of my new life I was going to start. I tried to determine where I would live, if I should change my appearance or attitude, or if I should become one of those dog-purse people. I decided against the dog thing, and the changing of myself, but I felt content on a place I would live. It would be a more high class place with all the basics, a bedroom, living room, kitchen, bathroom, etc. I envisioned my apartment on a top floor, with a balcony that over looks all of New York. and with the raise I was getting with new job, there's no doubt I'll be able to afford something classy. Anything would be better than the rundown apartment I live in. I can literally hear rats crawling in the walls at night. It used to keep me up all night, but I soon became able to handle it.

I was just given the news about my being recruited earlier this morning, and was given the rest of the day off. I had rushed out of the office completely giddy and excited. I came straight home, not knowing what to do first. I jumped around quite a bit, probably making the guys underneath me question my sanity. I then grabbed a pint of rocky road ice cream, my most favorite in the world, and began to search apartments on my laptop, and have been doing that ever since. I've found some that are perfect, with a great view of the city, and aren't around any crime related areas.

I still have three weeks before they want me in New York, so I bookmark a the few apartments that I fancied, and took myself out to lunch.

I hopped into my blue pries, and drove off to my destination that was unknown to me, After a while of aimlessly driving around in circles, I decided to stop at Hyde park, Gotham's best one, which came equipped with it's own sandwich cart. I find myself often coming here when I don't know what to do. Or I come when I'm starving. They have really good sandwiches. it's probably one of the only things in Gotham that I actually enjoy.

I walked up to Pete, who pushes the cart, and I always talk to. I get my usual B.L.T. We chat a bit, but all we really seem to talk about is the weather, which is beautiful today. Perfect for a long walk.

When I finish my sandwich, I head down the park's cobblestone trail, taking in how beautiful this day was. I jest couldn't get over how beautiful it was! I normally never noticed, but the excitement brought on today has enhanced my senses, making me take in everything I come across in extreme detail.

The grass had never looked greener, the air didn't have it's usual trashy polluted scent, and everyone ii glanced at seemed to have a wide smile on their face. I could see a mom cradling her baby, kids sliding down the slides, and a boy throwing a Frisbee to his dog. They must also had something amazing happen to them.

If I hadn't been so deep in thought about everyone else's day, I would have heard the footsteps that seemed right behind me, or the camera clicks in my ear. I know that since this is a public park, there are bound to be many people walking and taking pictures, but this felt different. Like someone was following me. Once I began to notice it, uneasiness grew around me, and the giant grin plastered on my face diminished.

Every so often, I would stop and glance around, pretending to tie my shoes or stretch, so I could determine whether or not someone was following me. And sure enough, there was. From the occasional glances I got, I could make out a man, wearing gray sweats, even though it's like ninety-five degrees outside, holding a camera. I knew he was following my by the way he stopped whenever I stopped, always kept his distance from me, and would pretend to take pictures of the sky or the trees every time I snuck a peek at him. I could feel his eyes on me, for whatever reason that was. He seemed content on snapping a lot of pictures of me. So, I began walking just a slight faster, into a power walk. Hopefully he wouldn't notice my change in pace. I could hear the mystery man as he began to whistle oh so casually. Typical Hollywood stalker.

I quickly made my way to the end of the park, which was the opposite side of my car. I didn't want to lead the mystery man to my car, for he would definitely either follow me when I leave or jot my license plate number down and come find me afterward. Instead I headed into the many buildings located in this part of the city. These many buildings formed almost a maze, and I've gotten lost in them many times. But since I've been through them a lot, I know my way around every nook and cranny. With any luck, my stalker hasn't been through here as much, and will get lost by the first couple of turns I make.

I quickly dart around every corner my eyes land on. Each one looks the same, and I can hear the mystery man running and grunting to try and find me, I make sure he doesn't, pacing myself. Even though I was paying attention to my surroundings, just the thought of someone following me made me forget everything. I feel so stupid. This might be a life or death situation, and here I go getting myself lost. Luckily, the sounds from the man died off in the distance, and I hope I lost him for good.

I wander around the buildings, trying to catch sight of one that looks recognizable to me. I finally find one that looks familiar to me, and step inside, hopping to find some one that could help me find my way back to the park. It's a restaurant/ bar, that has a very depressing feel to it. It makes me want to leave, but since everyone has already spotted me coming in, it would look weird if I just left, only to get even more lost.

I sat down at their bar counter, and asked the woman who worked there if I could get a mineral water. I had a case of the nerves, and I thought I heard one time on TV. that mineral water helps calm nerves. I hope it does, because my hands are almost shaking violently.

The lady at the counter brings me the glass, curiously watching me as I try to gulp it down. "You okay, sweetie?" She asks me. Must have seen me almost spill the drink from my shaking so bad. I calmly nod my head, and she migrates to the other side of the bar to help out two guys who keep shoving each other. I look around and it seems like everyone in here is rowdy. Shoving and or cursing out one another.

When she comes back around to me, I pay her the one-fifty for the drink, and ask her how to get back to Hyde park. "What you gotta do is go straight down these buildings, make two rights, then a left, and you'll be there." She explain.

"Thank you." I tell her as I head out the door, with everyone's eyes on me. I do as she says, go straight, take two rights, then a left, all while making sure my stalker didn't find me. I grinned as I made my way down through the buildings, coming back to the park. I casually glance around to make sure I wasn't followed, and I give myself the okay to go.

I make my way to the cross walk, when I stumble and almost collapse on the all the familiar man in front of me with sweats and a camera. Luckily, he didn't notice, and started walking ahead. I didn't know what to do, so irrationally I started walking behind him. Hopefully he would keep looking around in front of him, and not look right behind him. if he did, I was dead.

My head began to pound, and my heart started beating rapidly. The adrenaline level increased, and when the mystery man was far enough ahead of me, I spun around to my car, hopped in, and sped off without even thinking. What a rush! Even though the man was stalking me and made me feel uncomfortable, I couldn't escape the rush I got from slipping from his grasp. it seems like every time I'm in a semi-dangerous or dangerous situation and I get away, I always find my crazy self loving the feeling I get.

When I arrived at my apartment, I immediately flopped on my couch, and cracked open my writing journal. My writing journal is my safe haven; I go there when I'm mad, sad, excited, and basically every other emotion a person can feel. It is my passion. I've always had the need to just write a story, even when I was young. I would sometimes get into fights at school when people bullied me because I took my writing journal everywhere I went. I basically write about anything I wanted. My writing has excelled over the years, which is why I guess, from y editors perspective, that I'm such a good writer.

I begin jotting down what had just happened to me, and basically created a full on story out of it. A girl had been stalked for a while, before she was kidnapped and forced into human trafficking. Gruesome, yes. But exciting. I couldn't stop writing about my experience. I was really getting into it, when I look up at the clock, and realize I had spent nearly three hours writing. Well, time flies when you're having fun. it was now six o'clock, and beginning to get dark outside.

I decide to close up shop for the night, and hop in the shower. The feeling of the hot water that soaks my body relaxes my muscles, I didn't really realize how tired I was and wakes me up.

I finish quickly, with only wanting to wash my body. As soon as I get out, I burst out singing any song that comes to my mind. Something I've done since forever. Something about being in a bathroom when no one else is around just makes me want to sings out at the top of my lungs, no matter how bad it sounds. And knowing myself, it will be bad.

I get dressed in my pajamas even though it's only six-twenty. I grab the rest of my rocky road ice cream pint to finish, and plop down onto the couch. I put in a movie, and snuggle into the cushions. I bring my knees into my chest and wrap my arms around them, while eating my ice cream.

I started to doze off at about eight-thirty, so I set down the now empty carton of ice cream, picked up a small blanket I found behind the couch, and snuggled up with it. I was too lazy to get up and go get in my own bed, so I stayed there, slowly drifting of into possibly one of the best nights sleep I've ever had.

I awoke at six-thirty, getting a full ten hours of sleep. I stretch out from being scrunched up on the tiny couch, noticing how relaxed my muscles were, even though they were in an awkward position all night long. it was already light out, and I had to be to work in an hour. And was I thrilled. But only because these were going to be the last days at the paper, before I head off to the New York Times.

I jump up from the couch, and stroll into the kitchen. I grab a bowl out of the cupboard, and went for my usual honey bunches of oats when I stopped dead in my tracks. my eyes widened to the sight of a finely decorated cake sitting atop my kitchen counter. The icing was white with purple flowers all over it, and the writing on the top in red icing is what scared me most of all.

Congrats Jill!

My heart began to pound in my chest, threatening my to throw up. My knees became weak. Someone had broken into my apartment while I was sleeping. Not only that, but the way my name was spelled on the top of the cake frightened me. It was written Jill, short for Jillien, which I was only ever called by from one person, and I haven't seen said person in almost four years.

The thought of that person having broken into my apartment gave me the chills. No, it couldn't be. it had to be someone else. Someone else who called me Jill. I tried to think of someone, anyone who had called that before, but I only thought of the one.

It was definitely that person. As I leaned in, I could smell the deep scent of pineapple. Which is my favorite cake flavor, also only known by that person. And, congrats on what? My new job? Only the guys at the paper know about that. Right?

My heart sank as I glanced at the window behind my couch. it was wide open. They didn't even bother to close it. They wanted me to see how they got in. I waltzed over to the window, trying to regain my composure. I investigated outside, and when I didn't find anything suspicious, I quickly shut the window. Because I knew someone had broke in, just to make sure they weren't still there, I grabbed a small butter knife from the kitchen, and checked around my apartment. I half expected someone to jump out and scare me. I concluded that the person had left, so I went back to the cake. I don't even know what to do with it. I wasn't going to eat it, that's for sure. Knowing said person, it's probably filled with explosives or has been poisoned.

I didn't hesitate when I dumped the cake into the trash. There was no way I was going to die an be kept from this new job. No way.

I poured my bowl of honey bunches of oats and gulped it down, still feeling uneasy. I got dressed, and locked the door and all the windows, hopping nothing like this would ever happen again. I got down to the car, and headed straight for work. I was excited because these were going to be my last weeks at the paper, but fear ripped through my stomach when I thought about the cake.

No, Jillien, just brush it off. But I couldn't. How did they know about the new job? Which I'm assuming is what they were talking about. Don't worry about it. It was nothing. It was nothing. I had to repeat this several times in my head before it got through. and by then I had reached the paper. Hopping my nerves had calmed down, I stepped inside.

As soon as my right foot hit the floor, the weight of the world was no longer on my shoulders. Everyone who I hadn't seen yesterday when I got the news for the job congratulated me now. I made my way to my office, shaking hands with everyone I came in contact with.

When I finally got into my office, my editor, John Benset, shot up out of no where, shoving the newspaper in my face. He was all excited, trying to get me to read it.

"Geez, Benset, calm down." I sprung forward. "I think I would know what's on the front page considering I'm the one who wrote it."

He still shoved it in my face. "No, just read it." Reluctantly, I snatched it out of his hands and peaked at the front. it was not my article on the newly found information on the mob. Instead it read, "Gotham's Own Takes Spot in New York Times Office." With a picture of me, an actual good picture of me, wearing my long brown hair down, my reading glasses, making me look super smart, and a superb interview skirt and jacket.

I couldn't believe I was on the cover. Normally it was my writing, not me, "When did this happen?" I gasped out, leaving my mouth hanging wide open.

"After I released you yesterday. We decided to do a whole article on you and your work." He claimed. I was speechless, I was in shock. I ultimately thought back to the cake, now knowing how the person knew of the job.

With a wide grin, the only thing I could say was, "My article better be front and center tomorrow then." Benset smiled too and nodded. "Of course. We just thought all of Gotham should know just how wonderful our girl is." I thanked him, and he retreated to his office. I sat down in my chair, and read the entire article multiple times. Wow. they really are proud of me here. they mention it about six times. The rest of the article just talks about who I was when I was younger and my love for writing, the articles and stories I've done that were 'exceptional", and what I'm going to be doing in New York.

After I finished looking over the article, I basically spent the whole day at the paper, researching and writing my last article. I didn't have to be in New York for three weeks, but I'm only going to be here for two of them, and they will be used or my last article on a serial killing junkie.

I finished around five o'clock, working two hours longer than I normally do. My fellow reporters along with Benset shanghai me into coming along with them to Linguini's Pizza, to treat me to a congratulations dinner. Linguini's serves, in my opinion, the best pizza in the world. I guess that's another thing I MIGHT miss about Gotham.

I stay only an hour before I leave. Working for eight and a half starts to take it's toll on you. I tell everyone bye and thanks for the pizza, and I head for home. Just beating the rain.

I get home at around six-thirty, and am so tired that I collapse on the floor. The chill of the tile floor makes me jump up soon though. The pizza smell of the pizza mixed with my sweat makes me take to the shower. The water wakes me up for the most part, and I can't help but sing out. I end up singing ABBA's Dancing Queen, because it had been stuck in my head all day, at the top of my lungs. It sounds horrible, and makes me laugh.

I finish washing my hair and step out of the shower. I wrap the towel firmly around my body. I grab my hairbrush and untangle my hair, still singing, before I use it as a microphone. I open the bathroom door to grab my pajamas. I hear a loud laugh, shriek and drop my brush when I see the purple figure sitting on my bed.

What? No, what is he doing here? My pulse increases as he stands up and saunters towards me with his green tinted hair, with and black face, and stretched red lips. It was the clown Prince of Crime, The Joker himself. "Ah, same old Jill." He chuckled.

I was speechless, and couldn't move. I was frozen with fear. "Remember that time I stayed at your house...and you were singing in the shower? That one song I despised so? What was that again?"

I had tried to form the words, but my mouth refused to speak them. I just stood there, awkwardly in my towel, with my heart about to leap out of my chest. "C'mon, Jill. Aren't you going to say anything?" He came closer. "I don't even get a thanks?"

"Thanks...for...what?" I managed to get out between breaths.

"Oh Jill. You know excat-ly what. I may not have seen you in a few years, but I could never forget your undying love for pineapple." I clenched my towel tightly as he crept closer to me. I still didn't know what to say, so I kept quiet as we glared at each other. "You...probably are un-comfort-able. So, why don't you grab somethin and cover up. We have some, catching up to do." He traced his lips with his tongue.

I still looked at him, and never broke my stare as I grabbed some clothes. I tried to find my phone so I could call the police, but the Joker already knew what I was thinking. "Looking... for this?" He held up my phone and doubled over with laughter. Now I couldn't do anything. I quickly tried to figure out something, but the bathroom has no windows to escape out through, and I knew him like the back of my hand. He wasn't going to let me go without a fight.

"Hurry up in there, Jill. Got-ah, some ser-ious stuff to talk about." I quickly composed myself and threw my clothes on. I became angry. I don't understand why he had the nerve to come here and harass me. Did he not forget what he did to me four years ago?

I slowly crept out of the bathroom, only to find him not in my bedroom anymore. I formed my hands into fists, and they began trembling. How dare he come and scare me, then go wander around my apartment. Why was he here? I found myself kicking the door and yelling, trying to take my anger out.

"Whoa. Jill, calm Down. Afraid I would leave without giving ya a goodbye kiss? I'm not...going any-where." I heard his voice come from the living room. Still angry, I dash into the living room, and attempt to push him out the door. "Get out!" I yell as shove him harder. This has no affect on him, because well let's face it, I'm pretty weak. My trying to heave him out must be amusing by the way he tilts his head back and laughs.

When he composes himself, he grabs both of my wrists and shoves me up against the wall. He licks his lips and giggles. "Is that anyway to treat your... best friend?"

This is makes me even angrier. "We are. Not. Best. Friends." I glare at him. "Not anymore Jack." He grabs my left arm, yanking it behind my back, which sends a shooting pain into my elbow.

"I thought I told you... Never. Call. Me. Jack." With each word, he bent my arm back even more.

He let go of me, and I jerked away from him. "What do you want then, Joker?" He chuckled, and tossed me today's paper. Biting the inside of his cheek. "What?" I ask him.

He stepped forward and yanked the paper out of my hands. "What?" He mocks me. "Hm... Let's look shall we. I get the paper this morning... ready to read another brilliant article, written by you of course, on the criminal activities in Gotham." I clench my fists so much that they hurt. "But instead, I see this." He repeatedly jabs his finger at the picture of me. "Not only don't I get to read about how bad our society is... but I get to find out that my, best buddy... is moving to New York."

I nodded my head. "What's it to you?" I snapped, my anger slowly spewing out. He set the paper down, and lunged for me, his hands landing on both sides of my head. "Well... um... I took two hours outta my busy sche-du-el yesterday to make you a cake that showed how happy I was for you. And you thank me, by throwing it in the trash!" He began to yell.

Still pinned against the wall I dared to speak. "It could have been poisoned!" I said as he began to laugh uncontrollably. "God! What is always so damned funny!?" I scream.

"You... actually think.. I would..." Was all he could say in between laughs. "Oh Jill. Don't you know that I would... never hurt my best friend." He slowly calmed down. "Besides. You know I like using knives on my prey. I mean, you should know by all the articles you've written about me."

I couldn't take him anymore. I kneed him in the groin, and pushed him away. "We are not best friends!" I yelled as loud as I could. Hopefully someone would here it and come see what was going on. I tried running out of the apartment, but he was to quick. I had barely reached the doorknob when he grabbed me from behind and held a knife to my throat. A slight whimper came out of my mouth.

"Sh-sh-sh-sh. Oh Jill. You still amuse me so. And... no matter how much you may despise me, you'll always think of me as your friend. Admit it! You still want to believe that I'm still that loser kid you were friends with. Admit... that those where the best fourteen years of your life." I could hear his breath in my ear, and I could feel the rough texture of his scars on my cheek. I tried to break free, but he only chuckled, and held the knife tighter. "Ata-ta-ta. Don't want to... hurt yourself, Jill." I wanted to scream, but as if he knew what I was going to do, he placed his gloved hand over my mouth. "Shush. Now, before I gra-cious-ly take my leave, I'm telling you... that you cannot leave Gotham. If you try, there will be... con-si-quen-ces. And I know, you wont like that."

I couldn't stop my self from asking the question as he removed his hand from my mouth. "Why don't you want me to go?" He spun me around to face him, forcing me to look into his big, brown eyes.

"Because, I'm looking out for you. New York is a very bad place. Way more violence than in Gotham. I don't want to see my girl getting hurt." He chuckled. "And, besides. I'd miss ya too much."

I gave him a look of confusion, before yelling in his face. "Miss me?! How could you possibly miss me?! We haven't seen each other in four years!"

He pulled his arm around my neck in a casual manner, and pulled his face close to mine. "Just because you haven't seen me, doesn't mean I haven't seen you." He pulls out a manila folder from his long purple coat. He pulls out many pictures of me doing various activities. "You're still very photogenic, Jill." He says while laughing.

Before I could think, my hand hit him square in the jaw. This caught him off guard. "You sick... crazy bastard!"

I could see the anger rising within him. He once again pulled out his knife, this time holding it up to my cheek. His tongue slid to the sides of his scars. " I'm not. No, I'm not." He clenched the back of my head with his other hand. "I'm just a man. A man who knows what he wants. And I want... you to stay right here... in Gotham." He pushed me away from him and tossed my phone to me. I just stood there, with my mouth gapping wide open as he climbed up to the window. "Think about what I said. And I'll be seeing you... later." He said before he disappeared out the window and out of my sight.

I quickly shut the window and locked it. There was no use in calling the cops. They wouldn't find him. And he stole my battery. I tried to calm myself down, but his appearance put me on edge. He threatened me not to leave. He is no way my best friend. Not anymore. The only reason I'm taking this job in NY was to get away from the pain and heartbreak he left me with. And I was getting out of Gotham, one way or another.

**SexyJokerLovers**: **So, I hope you liked it. I'm currently trying to write chapter 2. Please review and tell me if I should write more!**


	2. A Thing of the Past

**SexyJokerLovers: ****Ok guys here's the new chapter. I don't know if it's any good. Please enjoy!**

When she was nine years old, her family had just moved to Gotham from San Francisco. Being an only child, Jillien Harding didn't have any one to talk to or look after her. That was until her first day of third grade. She was the new student, and she was already failing at making friends. She sat in the back of the class, not talking to anybody. That was until she got to lunch. She didn't have any money for lunch, and since her family had just moved here, they hadn't stocked up on food yet, so she went without. She isolated herself, and pulled out her writing journal, hoping to pass the time until lunch was over. She had never gotten the chance to crack open her journal though.

She glanced up as a boy with long dirty-blond hair approached her. She had recognized him from her class. "Don't you have any lunch?" He asked.

All she did was shake her head, not wanting to draw attention to herself. "Do you want half of my sandwich?" He asked. Again, he got a shrug from her. "You don't talk much, do you?"

She looked up at him, still not saying a word. "I'll take that as a no." He seated himself down next to her. "At least tell me your name. I'm Jack Napier."

He held out his hand to her, motioning her to shake it. "Jillien Harding." She told him in a soft voice, the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. She shook his hand, and motioned her back to the his sandwich. Reluctantly, she took it, thus beginning her love for B.L.T.'s.

"Jack and Jill." He had told her once. "Like the nursery rhyme." She was always called Jillien, and he wanted to call her Jill. She allowed him to, as long as he was the only one. And over the years, he was the only one to call her that.

* * *

I couldn't breath. I couldn't move. I was trying to get away, but couldn't. My arms and legs were tied, and a large mass held me down. My vision was blurry, and I could vaguely make out the purple shad of the figure. I could hear the maniacal laugh that came from on top of me. I distinctly felt the knees of someone pushing down on my chest, before they cracked, and my entire body went limp.

I coughed myself awake from one of the worst dreams I've ever had. I instinctively grabbed my chest to make sure nothing had happened to me. I began to cough uncontrollably, even though no one had touched me. it felt like they had. The dream felt so real. And, no doubt it was the Joker. I don't want to believe that he would hurt me, but I know what he's capable of. To my disliking, I was the one at the paper who covered the latest news on the Joker. I know that he has personally killed over fifty people, and wounded over twice as many.

He said so himself that he would never hurt me. I want to believe him. I want to believe that deep down inside of him, the boy I knew, who was my best friend, was still there. When he talked to me, more like threatened me earlier, he had said that I still wanted him to be that same Jack and friend I'd always known. He was right of course. He knows me better than anyone else, which right now is proving to be a bad thing.

After he had left me, I took extra precautions before I went to bed. I doubled checked that the door and all the windows were locked, I placed a towel over them, and grabbed a knife from the kitchen and set it on my bedside table.

It still shocked me that he was in this very apartment only a couple of hours ago. He didn't want me to leave Gotham. he said he would miss me too much. I still don't understand why.

This man was my best friend. I can still see him before he turned into this... thing. He was always so kind, and always looked after me. We always went to each other' s house when we were bored. He got in fights sometimes to protect me. I can still remember one time, in fifth grade, I was waiting for him at recess, scribbling down ideas in my writing journal. Some snotty boy came up to me, and took my journal. He called me names like stupid and nerd, before he chucked my journal into a puddle of muddy water. He kept teasing me until I cried. And boy did I. I didn't enjoy him making fun of me at all. By then, Jack had come from lunch and saw what happened. He punched the kid in the nose and threw him to the ground. I immediately threw my arms around him and bawled into his shirt.

He got expelled from school for a whole week. and I was lonely the entire time. But when he came back, he bought me a new journal because mine got ruined. I still have it somewhere. After that, no one ever came near me when Jack was around.

I wasn't going to let him get to me though. There was no way he was going to keep me from my dream job.

This past week has gone by too slow. I hadn't heard anything from the Joker since his "visit", and I was hoping to keep it that way.

I had found an apartment I liked, and I'm flying out to New York to check the place out.

* * *

The Joker paced himself in his hideout in the rough part of town. He was angrier than usual, and his boys were frightened. They were hoping he wouldn't do anything irrational.

The Joker continued to walk around confusingly, deep in thought. He had learned that a week after visiting his friend, Jill, she wasn't listening to him, and she was flying out to New York today to find a new place to live.

How dare she! Did she not hear him when he said to stay in Gotham? He couldn't let her leave him. Even though she wasn't leaving him for real, she was theoretically leaving him, and he couldn't have that. Something just wouldn't feel the same with her gone. It was either her stay or him move his entire scene with her, and he loved Gotham so much. he couldn't leave because it was just too much fun.

He quickly pulled out his cell phone, and dialed a number. He waited impatiently for the caller to answer. "What do you want, Joker?" The voice asked.

"I'm going to need that favor now, Mark."

It was less than an hour when the Joker met Mark at a discrete landing pad on the outskirts of Gotham.

He convinced Mark to fly him to New York in his helicopter to stake out ill. He had owed him a favor from saving his neck one time two years ago. Mark refused, but the Joker threatened to slowly cut his head off if he didn't.

Only the Joker and Mark arrived in New York; he made his goons stay behind. This was personal, and he didn't want them screwing him over.

They arrived in New York in two hours, and he quickly located the apartments building Jill was going to see. Now all he had to do was wait. Her flight didn't get in for a few more minutes, he checked. He wasn't crazy. He just wanted to make sure his best friend didn't make the biggest mistake of her life. Well, second biggest. There was still that time four years ago when she hurt him deeply. Anger filled within him, and he pushed the memory away, not wanting to think about it. He knew she wasn't going to walk out of his life. Not again.

The Joker had washed off all his face paint, and nearly killed Mark twice while waiting for Jill.

They waited her arrival on the top of the building she would go into. "Tell me... Joker." Mark began. "Why are you here? Who are you waiting for?"

The Joker wasn't going to answer. He didn't want to have to explain everything to this nobody. He wouldn't understand. But Mark kept pestering him, and almost lost his head twice.

Finally, the Joker saw a taxi arrive and his friend climb out of the backseat. His eyes lit up, and Mark saw his reaction. "Hm... I see now. Someone's got a girlfriend." He said under his breath.

But the Joker had heard him. He faced Mark, and slugged him in his face, breaking his nose. "she... isn't my girlfriend." He chuckled. "Stay right here. Then meet me at the airport in an hour." And with that, he left the man on the ground, blood seeping through his nose.

* * *

Just the sight of the inside of the apartment gave me goose bumps. It is by far the best apartment I've seen in my entire life. It's so clean, with no cracks in the ceiling, no unnatural stains on the walls, and no rats.

This apartment is everything I could have ever wanted, including the balcony that overlooks most of the city.

"So... the rent is eight hundred and thirty- seven dollars a month." The landlady began. "Then you've got your basic bills, and that's about it."

"Thank you. I really like this apartment." I tell her.

"How long until you gotta be here?" She asks.

"Two weeks." I say, which excites me. Only two more weeks until I'll finally be able to start over.

I hear her laugh. "Wow. That's not a long time. You best be getting to sign the forms if you want a place to live instead of a cold bench in the park."

I laugh, and sign the papers. Now it's official. My month starts on the twenty-seventh, which is nine days from now. Everything is falling into place, and now all I have to do is pack up my apartment.

I grab my purse and the lady leads me outside. We shake hands and I call for a cab.

It pulls up to the curb and I jump in. "John F. Kennedy International Airport please."

"You got it... Jill." I knew that voice. I almost stopped breathing when I looked into the mirror, and saw the scars. I quickly snapped my seatbelt, not knowing what he was going to do.

"What are you doing here?" I gasped.

"You sounds nervous. You didn't just ex-pect me to sit around and wait for you to leave, did ya?" He growled.

"You can't keep me from leaving Gotham, Joker!" I exclaim.

He began swerving on the road, making my body collide with the side door. "Didn't you, hear me when I warned you not to leave Gotham?" He asked.

"I did." I admit. "But I didn't think..."

"You didn't think...I was se-ri-ous." I glanced in the mirror and saw he had no makeup on. I could vaguely see the face of my best friend, before he snapped at me again. "No... I thought you would get the message."

I tried to force myself back, but all I hit were the seats. "Please... Where are you taking me?"

"You asked to go to the airport, didn't you?" He looked back at me and smiled. "My ride is there too."

So, I just sat there, scared out of my mind. I didn't know what he was going to do. "Are we really going to the airport?" I had to ask it.

"Jill, Jill, Jill." He giggled. "You don't trust me? You should know by now that-ah... I'm a man of my word."

I didn't say anything more after that. I just sat in the taxi, crossing my arms over my chest.

The Joker began humming to himself, before he tried to break the silence. " So... Why do ya want this dumb ole job any-way, Jill?"

I just glared out the window, not wanting to say anything. But eventually said it anyway. "Because... it's my dream job."

"Uh huh." Was all I heard him say. I couldn't even look at him. He just wasn't the same old Jack I knew. "So... you'd rather leave the place you've lived most of your life, and move on to do bigger... and better things."

He looked back, and I met his eyes. "Yes." I nodded. "I still don't understand why you came." I let slip out. "You say you'll miss me. Miss what? The occasional article I write about you, or sending your goons to stalk and take pictures of me? If you wanted to see me you should have just..." I hesitated.

"Just, What?" He asked.

"Just called or something." I said just to get him off my back.

"You... wouldn't have answered." He retorted.

"Maybe. But I would rather have that than you break into my apartment twice, threaten me, and then kidnap me!"

I could see him grip the steering wheel tighter. "I told you... I'm taking you to the air-port."

"I'll believe that when I see it." I snickered. And with that last comment, he sped through the busy streets of New York, almost colliding with many cars. I jerk from side to side, hitting my head with every turn he made.

We soon reach the airport parking lot. I jumped out of the taxi and made a beeline for the exit, when his gloved hand grabbed hold of my wrist. The Joker spun me around to face him, and squeezed my arm tighter. It was like looking at Jack, but with deep, scary scars.

"Now, Jill. I've had a sudden... change of heart." He fumbled his words, almost not wanting to say them. I look at him with a confused, blank stare. "I'm going to let you go to New York."

This caught me off guard. Like I needed his permission! "What?" I quickly ask.

"I know that this... is what makes you happy..." He trailed off. Was that a hint of care I saw? "I mean, a throughout grade school you hardly ever took your nose outta your journals." I could see him chuckle. "So, I'm not going to stop you from what you love so."

I couldn't believe what had just come out of his mouth. Was he pulling my leg? Did he really want me to go? I guess he did by the way he was motioning me towards the airport door.

"What kind of angle are you playing here, Joker?" I had to ask.

His response almost startled me. "No angle. I promise... I won't keep ya from your new job." It was like the Joker had diminished, and Jack had come out. I was still confused, and started walking towards the door.

I jumped when he grabbed me and pulled me into his arms. Scared he was going to hurt me, I tried pushing him away. He only held me tighter. I then realized that he wasn't trying to hurt me. He was hugging me. With my conflicting emotions, I eventually give in and hug him back. Wait, what was I doing? This wasn't Jack. This was the Joker, a mass murdering clown.

I push myself away from him, and he laughs at the sight. How could I just let my guard down like that?

I didn't say another word to him, and quickly make my way to the sliding glass doors. I look back, but he's disappeared. I still can't believe I let myself hug him. It just really sounded like he wanted me to pursue my job. I want to believe him. I want to think he still cares.

I got inside, checked my ticket, and waited around thirty minutes before I got on the plane. For some odd reason, I couldn't stop thinking about the Joker. He let his Jack side come out, and I reacted to it. I still don't trust him one bit, but maybe he did want me to be happy. He promised me he wouldn't interfere with this new job, and I think I believe him. After all, he is a "Man of his word."

When I arrived home, I was unfazed that I had basically been kidnapped by the Clown Prince of Crime nearly three hours ago. I was actually excited now about moving. I was angry before, but now since I knew he wasn't going to try anything, I felt content in leaving in a peaceful manner.

The first thing I did was call the land lady for the new apartment in New York. I was so happy that I asked her if I could move the start of the first month up five days sooner, which gives me only four days to pack. She wasn't sure if I could be there that soon, but I assured her that I would be able to. I didn't have much stuff, so it wouldn't take long to pack everything.

We closed the deal, and I quickly hung up the phone. Earlier in the week I had gotten some boxes and totes, so I began to pack. Anything and everything went into a box, I left the basic things I would need until the day I actually leave, and stacked up the boxes in the corner. I basically spent three hours packing up the living room and the kitchen. It is eight o'clock and I'm as tired as a... tire. See? No good references when I'm crashing.

I lock the door and head into my room, where I don't even bother changing into my pajamas. I pull the covers over my body, and drift into a deep sleep.

The next days fly by like clockwork. I spend my last day at the paper, and completed my article. I used of my free time packing up everything.

Today was going to be a good day. I could feel it. I'm leaving Gotham now, and I can almost taste the New York air.

I have to leave by seven a.m., because it'll take about twelve hours to get to my new home.

I load my last boxes in the car, which is already completely full in the trunk and the backseat, and head back to the apartment to take one final sweep of the place.

The apartment is completely empty, with nothing left except for the couch which isn't mine. I grin and check around to make sure I've gotten everything.

I see nothing else, and head for the door. I flick the lights off, about to lock up when I remember something quickly. There was still one more box I needed. One I could never forget.

I sprint into the bedroom and unlatch the air vent, pulling the filter out. I reach in and pull out a small white, dust covered box that I've cherished forever, even though I haven't touched it in three years.

I plant my butt on the ground, and read the label on the top, "Jack". I open up the box, unsure of what I had really put in it. As soon as I take a peak at the inside, my whole body fills with something that I can't put my finger on.

The first item I take out is a photo booth strip of Jack and I when we were in seventh grade. It was our first trip to the mall together and we had never done one before.

The next item I take out is a picture frame, with a picture of us that he gave me when we were seniors in high school. It was our graduation day, and he had me jump on his back when the picture was snapped.

I end up taking everything out of the box, slowly remembering the times with the best friend I once had.

I finally finish taking everything out, tears swelling in my eyes. I see something shiny underneath one of the folds.

I pull it out, realizing what it was. It was a necklace Jack had given me the last day I saw him before he became the Joker.

It was half a heart, broken down the middle. It was silver, with an engraving on the back. "J", "nd", "r", and "er" are on each line. I had no idea what it meant though. I'm assuming the joker had had the other half at some point, but has probably gotten rid of it by now.

I check my phone and see that it's nearly seven o'clock, so I quickly thrust everything back into the Jack box. All except the necklace, which I keep in my hand.

I lock the door to my old apartment, and head down into the lobby. To keep from dropping the box, I put the necklace halfway in my mouth, clenching it with my teeth. I drop the keys off at the manager's office, and then I head outside to my car.

I press the un-lock button on my cars keys and open the door when I hear the laugh. I don't even have a chance to turn around before I'm grabbed from behind, and a cloth is forced over my mouth.

I try to scream, but the hand holds the cloth over my mouth tighter, forcing me to breath it in. The last thing I hear is the sound of glass breaking from inside my box before I lose consciousness and collapse.

**SexyJokerLovers: ****Hm... I wonder who that was? So I hope you guys like it. Me personally I was like meh... . But yeah so working on chapter 3 as we speak. Spoiler alert! If you're a Harley Quin fan you'll love the next chapters. Please review!  
**


	3. Home Sweet Harley

**SexyJokerLovers: Hello my lovelies! This chapter was so hard to write, but I did my best. My back hurts from typing it up for a couple of hours. I wish the Joker was here to massage my it...**

He had to make sure no one was looking when he caught her. The Joker had snuck up behind her while she was unlocking her car. He had placed a cloth of chloroform over her mouth to knock her out.

But when he did, he felt something metal dangling from her mouth. As soon as he scooped her up, he pulled the necklace out of her mouth. He saw it was the necklace he had given her years ago. Why did she have it in her mouth?

He shoved the necklace into his pocket, and carefully seated her on the passengers side of the car.

He looked back to the box she was carrying, now dumped on the ground. He quickly tossed the pieces back into the box, without looking at them. He then dumped the box in the backseat before he climbed in, and departed for his hideout.

He had told her that he wasn't going to interfere with her job, and he wasn't. She didn't start for at least eleven days. He was just going to have a little fun with her before sending her on her way.

The Joker pulled into the drive way of his house for now, and was quickly bombarded by his men

"Boss, where was you?" One man asked. But the Joker didn't answer him, and shot him in his right foot.

No one dared asking anymore questions as he pulled the girl out of her car, and threw her over his shoulder.

"Hey... you two!" The Joker pointed to two of his men. "Unload these boxes and then bring the car around back!"

They did as they were told, and began unloading the boxes. The Joker walked into his house, and was immediately annoyed.

"Mistah J! Where have ya been?!" She bounded towards him from the stairs. It was Harley Quinn, hyper and dressed in her court jester outfit and make up. She stopped herself from jumping into his arms. "Who's... this?!" She asked confusingly.

"No one. Go back to your room." The Joker growled.

But she didn't' move, still investigating the woman draped over his shoulder. "But... Mistah J! Who is she? Why is she here?" She kept persisting.

He couldn't take her high pitched squealing any more. He back handed her across her face, knocking her to the ground. "Shut up, Harley! I said go to your room!"

She gave a loud "Humph", stomped her foot, and walked around the corner.

The Joker wasn't in the mood for Harley today. She had gotten on his nerves a lot lately, and he didn't want her around Jill. She was just too much to handle sometimes, and wondered why he even put up with her.

The Joker then climbed up the stairs, and took his friend into a small room. There were no windows, and only one light illuminated. In the light, a metal chair stood alone, and he placed her on it. She was still knocked out (probably for a couple more hours), and her limbs dangled out to the sides.

He propped her head back, trying to get it into a comfortable position for her. He carefully brushed her hair out of her face.

He grabbed some rope from his pocket, where he kept everything, and began to tie her arms behind the chair, when she flinched, almost smacking him in the face.

He finished tying her up, including her legs. He walked around to face her, pulling out the necklace he had dropped into his pocket. He investigated it carefully, remembering when he had got it for her.

He began swelling with anger as he threw the thought away. He didn't want to remember how she didn't want anything to do with him or the necklace he spent his hard earned money on.

He looked back at her and smiled. She was completely under his control, for the time being, and she was going to wear the necklace.

He delicately clasped it around her neck, forcing her head to droop to the side. This is how she should have worn it when he had first given it to her, instead of casting it out.

The Joker stood up, and came back around to face her. He didn't want to leave her, but he had some important business to take care of.

Little did he know that Harley Quinn was waiting for him outside the door. She had a sour look upon her face. "Mistah J, tell me who that girl is right now!"

But the Joker didn't say anything. He just brushed her off.

"Why are you being so nice to her? Are you replacing me?! Am I not good enough for you anymore?! Tell me! Tell me! Tell me!" The questions kept coming, until the Joker threw her to the ground, very annoyed.

"Harley! Didn't I tell you to go to your room?!" He exclaimed. "You are not to bother this girl, got. it?"

She stood up from the floor, still curious about the girl's identity. " But! Mistah J! Just tell me who she is! I promise I won't..."

She was cut off when he abruptly slapped her, this time smearing her make up. "This girl... is an old friend. She was getting into... trouble. So I brought her here."

Harley's eyes filled with tears, but she brushed them away. "It'll only be for a little while, so. Calm. Down."

He motioned for her to go back to her room, and she trotted off in that direction. The Joker didn't understand how Harley could still stay with him even though he treated her like crap. He didn't mind, though. It was nice having a female companion every once in a while. But, didn't she know how he felt about her? He only kept her around because she was so amusing. He didn't love her. Not. One. Bit. He was still into deep with someone else.

* * *

I awoke with a pounding in my head. A deep, piercing pain that felt like I was being hit in the head with a hammer. I look up, squinting at the bright light, which only seems to make my head hurt more.

I didn't know where I was, but I knew who had done this to me. I had heard his distinctive laugh as he knocked me unconscious.

The entire room was pitch black, except for the one light shinning on me. My hands were tied to the back of the chair, and my ankles were tied to the legs. I had a strain in my neck from the uncomfortable position my head must have rested in.

I wanted to cry so badly. The Joker had gone back on his promise not to disturb me and my new job. He was going to pay. Now if I could only free my hands somehow...

My thoughts were interrupted by the jiggling of a doorknob. I heard the door slowly creak open, and a man stood in the shadows. I couldn't see him very well, but his voice rang out, and I knew who it was.

The Joker stepped into the light, slowly circling me. I tried turning around to see him, but the position I was in didn't help me.

I could hear him chuckle, and couldn't stop the tears from forming. "You promised." Was all I could get out.

He leaned over me, tracing his scars with his tongue. "Promised... what ex-act-ly?"

I could tell he was amused, but I wasn't. Any faith or assurance I had in him was now gone. "You said you wouldn't keep me from my job!"

The tears began heavily falling down my cheeks as he spoke. " I pro-missed, that I wouldn't keep you from your job." He jerked my chin to look up at him. He brushed the fly away strands of hair from his face, licking his lips. "You don't start... for, how many is it now? Ten more days?"

I could see something change in his face. He wasn't amused, he was almost sincere. "You'll get to your new job right on time prin-cess. I just wanna have a little fun with you is all. Just like... the good 'ole days."

He straddled me, bringing his face even closer. I couldn't push him off of me, which he seemed to enjoy. "Think about it. I'm like basically giving you... a much needed vacation. It'll be fun. It'll help relieve your stress. You have so much tension, Jill."

"That might be because you harass me every couple of days!" I snapped in his face. I tried to shove him off of me by pushing up against him, but he only held me down tighter.

"Jill... you're really hurting my feelings." He chuckled. "Are you say-ing that you don't want to spend some quality time catching up with your old buddy?"

I looked him dead in the eyes. "No." I said flatly. "I would rather stick needles in my eyes than spend a few days with you."

His expression changed again, as if he was hurt by my comment. But it quickly changed as he burst out laughing. "Ouch." He mouthed. "If you... really feel that way. I can have it arranged for you."

"What!?" Was he seriously going to stick needles in my eyes? I knew he was sick, but not like this. Now I truly was scared. No, terrified. This man was going to kill me, and enjoy me squealing the entire time.

More tears formed in my eyes, and he jumped off of my lap, heading for the door. "I was only kidding. Why so serious?" I began jerking around in the chair, trying to free myself some how so I could make an attempt to get away some how. This caught his attention by the way he gave a small giggle.

I was still jerking the chair, but harder. It was almost bouncing on the ground when I fell forward, slamming my face into the tile floor. Pain shot through my cheek.

The Joker practically died of laughter. He threw a fit, rolling around on the ground, laughing at how ridiculous I looked.

"You're just... a chip off... the old shoulder, Jill." He barely got in between laughs. He soon calmed down though, walking towards me with his hands on his hips.

He didn't say a word as he smiled down at me, in the most uncomfortable position in the world. I broke the silence, grunting as I tried to push all of my weight off of my face. The Joker only gave a sigh, bending down to meet my gaze.

"I can tell we are gonna have a lot of fun here, Jill." He licked his lips. "Now, you wait right here. I'll be back... later."

Wait? What?! He was just going to leave me here? "Wait!" I hollered after him. "You're not actually leaving me here like this, are you?"

He was silent as he disappeared into the dark, and left me alone on the ground, not able to move.

Dammit! What does he expect me to do with him? Knowing how much he likes to see people suffer, this experience was only going to be fun for him.

I try to untie my hands, but to no avail. So I just sat there, with my tear stained face, waiting for him to come back.

I end up waiting what I assume was three hours. By that time my face had gone completely numb, there was a pool of tears on the floor by my eyes, and my stomach growled from hunger. I last ate at six o'clock which was well over, well I don't even know since I have no clue what time it was.

I heard the door open, and I looked through the dark at the Joker, who was holding a plate of food. I could smell shrimp, which of course he knew was my favorite. I had never been so happy to see him in my whole life, even though I still despised him so.

He grinned as he set the plate down on the floor near my nose, taunting me with it's intoxicating smell.

He sauntered over towards me, biting the inside of his cheek. He lifted me up from the ground and stood me and the chair up right. I couldn't turn my neck to the left without searing pain shooting through it.

"Kink in your neck? Let me get that for you." He roughly grabbed my neck.

"Don't. Touch. Me!" I exclaimed. He only seemed to get a kick out of it.

"C'mon. This is what... friends are for." He jerked my neck to the left, and I heard a loud pop. My muscles slowly relaxed, and I was able to turn my head.

"Now, isn't that better?" He asked. "I remembered how much you loved seafood. So I had Harley whip up something." He said as he untied my legs. "You know Harley Quinn, right?"

"Not personally." I replied. But I knew of her. She was his doctor over at Arkham, before she went completely insane. "But yes... I know of her." I said as he untied my hands.

I immediately lunge for the plate, devouring the food. The Joker sits himself down in front of me, crossing his legs Indian style. He places his elbows on his knees, his face in his hands, and intently watches me. "What?" I ask with a mouthful of food, spitting some of it out onto the floor.

He laughed, holding a fork out to me. "You didn't give me a chance to give you this."

I looked down at my hands, covered in gunk, slightly embarrassed. I yanked the fork from his purple gloves and continued to gorge myself. Still watching me, he reached over as if to grab a shrimp, but I jabbed him with the fork, causing him to flinch.

He reached forward and roughly grabbed my chin. "Never do. That. Again." I nodded my head, and he released me from his grip. I went back to cleaning my plate.

When I was finished and my stomach was satisfied, I wondered what he was going to do next.

I look up at him. "Call your land lady. Tell her you wish to... extend your moving date up nine days. And don't even think about calling the police. Otherwise..." He motioned his finger across his neck.

"But you said you'd never hurt me." I gasped.

"I said I wouldn't hurt you..." He giggled. "But I never said my clowns wouldn't."

Furious at him for saying that, I dial the apartment's number, and ask for my land lady, who I completely forgot the name of.

"Hi honey!" She said. "We were getting worried cause we hadn't heard from you all day."

I breath in deeply. "Oh. I'm fine. Something... unexpected came up." I could feel the Joker's eyes on me as I spoke. "Unfortunately, I won't be able to get out there for at least another week. Maybe longer."

I heard a sigh from the other end of the phone. "I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope everything will be okay." I hope so too. "Well, see you in a week or so."

I thanked her, and hung up the phone. I turned to face the Joker, who was tapping his foot impatiently. He draped his arm over my shoulder. "That wasn't so hard, was it?" I try to brush him off, but he only holds me tighter. "Now, how's about we show my buddy where she'll be staying the next few days?"

I only shrug as he leads me out of the room I was in. My head begins to pound as we are pounced on by the oh so hyper Harley Quinn. Her jester's outfit looked as, if not more ridiculous as the Joker's. He at least had a reason for wearing his face paint, but what was hers?

She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw me. "Mistah J..." She grew silent when she noticed his arm around me. She frowned as she spoke. "J... Now can you tell me who she is?!"

She shoved me from his grasp and placed herself directly where I was. For some reason this angered me. She acted as if he was... never mind. She looked me over, giving a look as if she didn't approve of what she saw.

"Harley, Jill. Jill, Harley." The Joker introduced us. He let go of Harley, and came back over to me. I couldn't help but find her face when he did this amusing.

"How do you know her? You said you were old friends? How old?" She asked. "When did you meet? Why is she here?"

The Joker held up his hand. "Harley! You know very well I don't like to dwell... on the past."

But with his explanation, the questions kept coming. "Why can't you tell me? Is it a secret? I can keep a secret!" She was finally silenced when the Joker pulled her towards him, yanking her arm out of place. She screamed in pain, and it made me jump backwards. I debated running away to find a way out during their confrontation, but decided against it. I wouldn't want to make him so angry that he would do that to me.

He pushed her on the ground, sliding her arm back into place. She cried out again. "Mistah J... you've been spending so much time with her... and you have so many pictures of her... well... I ..."

He cut her off. "Harley, you're getting on my last nerves. Go take a nap or something!"

She jumped up, clutching her shoulder. "Okay!" She said hysterically. She leaned and pecked him on the cheek, causing him to wince. She skipped merrily to her room as if nothing had happened.

The Joker looked back at me and rolled his eyes. "They never learn." I don't understand why she could possibly stay with this crazed- maniac if he hurts her like that.

He directs me towards a small room, a bit smaller than the last, with a sheet less bed, a white dresser, and all of my boxes piled in it.

"Well..." He began. "What do you think?" I take a look around, and then glance over at him.

"It's fine." I tell him with almost no emotion.

"So, make yourself at home." He pulls out a key, spinning it around his finger. "You might want to take a nap yourself, Jill. I don't want you all cranky when I get back. I have something... special to show you."

"Wait!" I stop him. "Where are you going? And what do you have planned?"

"Hm. For someone who doesn't want anything to do with me... you sure are very... cur-ious." He began. "I have a... group therapy session with a couple of new mobsters. Gotta make sure it sticks in their heads that I'm the top dog. That this is my city."

I scoff. "Of course."

"As for what I have planned... you'll just have to wait and see. It's a sur-prise!" He splayed his hands in a fanning motion as if emulating a surprise.

I cross my arms over my chest, wanting him to explain more. "Fine." He still held his key, which I almost forgot about. "What's that for?" I question.

He chuckled slightly. "Oh, this. To make sure my friend doesn't think about escaping or wandering around and getting into trouble..." I understood what he meant as he sprang out of the room. I heard the doorknob jingle, and I knew he had locked me in.

I didn't even bother trying to open it or plead with him to unlock it. He was right, of course. I would have tried to escape as soon as he left.

"I'll see you soon. Jilly Bean." I could hear through the door. He laughed as I grunted. He must have remembered how much I despised it when anyone called me that nickname.

"I can't wait." I said sarcastically. Did he enjoy tormenting me?

I heard him stomp off, cackling the entire time. I didn't know what was worse, him doing this to me, or me being so accepting of it.

I wasn't tired, so I couldn't possibly take a nap. I still didn't even know what time it was.

I was going to be here for a while, so I decided I might as well throw some clothes in the dresser, and some sheets and bedspread on the mattress.

I quickly locate the boxes I need, and rip them open. I pull out a weeks worth of clothes, and place them in their designated drawers. I pull out my sheets and cover the bed with them and the bedspread. I take a couple of my custom fiber pillows and place them on the bed as well.

Now I was tired, so I sprawl out over the bed, letting my eyes rest for a little while.

I almost fall asleep when I hear the doorknob jiggle. Expecting it to be the Joker, I keep my eyes shut so he gets the message that I was tired. I was startled as he jumped on top of me.

I hesitatingly open my eyes to see that it isn't even a he. Harley Quinn held me down under her legs, with a wild look in her eyes.

"Why are you here?!" She yelled. "Mistah J is mine!" Was she serious?

"Get off of me!" I tried pushing her off, but she held my hands down. For someone as small as she was, she was strong. "You're crazy if you think for one second I would want that clown like that!"

That's when she slapped me. "He's not a clown! He's a Joker!" My face burned, and I boiled with anger. I brought my legs up around her chest, pulling her off of me. That didn't stop her from climbing right back on though.

"Why did you come here? To take him away from me? He could never love you!" She exclaimed.

"You aren't making any sense. He brought me here. Not the other way around. If you should be questioning someone, question him. I didn't force him to kidnap me!" I tried to explain to her that nothing was going on so she would get off of me, but she wouldn't have it.

"He loves me, and always will! I know him better than anyone else does!" She claimed.

I laughed in her face. "That's funny. You know him better than anyone else does, and you've only truly known him for a couple of months. I've been best friends with him since we were nine. I think... I win."

She began to release me, confused. I used this to my advantage, shoving her onto the floor. I sprang up and smashed her hand with my foot. "Freak!" I yelled as I raced out of the room and into the hallway.

I spotted the door at the end of the staircase and attempted to make my way to it. I only get halfway down when I heard her giggle, and she jumped on my back. With her on top of me, we plummeted down the stairs, hitting the floor with a loud thud.

A sharp pain stabbed me in the side and my forearm, causing me to cry out in pain. This gave her the upper hand as I clenched my arm in pain. She threw herself on top of me again, placing her hands around my neck.

"Mistah J... Would never want an ugly, gross, nothing to live for girl like you." She said as she began to choke me, squeezing my neck harder.

I tried to fight her with my arm that wasn't hurt, but I was no match for her. I could see the sweat drip down her face, causing her make up to run. I accepted the fact that she was going to kill me when I began to black out. I choked back tears, knowing I was going to die, when out of no where someone threw themselves at her, knocking her off of me.

I gasped out for air, trying to refill my oxygen deprived lungs. I couldn't move, because of the lack of oxygen in my muscles. I coughed and hacked until I regained mobility.

I looked over to where the figure had thrown Harley, and saw the mystery man that was taking pictures of me at the park holding her down. She screamed nonstop, which attracted many henchmen to the room we where in.

I was still breathing heavily as I sprinted towards the door, yanking it open. I stumble outside, falling face first onto the sidewalk. I clench my side in agony, with possible broken ribs.

Tears begin flowing down my face, when I hear someone approach me. Afraid it might be Harley let go, coming to finish me off, I jump to face the person.

I was almost excited to see the Joker staring at me, confused no doubt about why I wasn't locked up in my room.

Without thinking, I ran to him, thrusting my arms around him. He in return put his arms around me, returning the hug. I clenched him tighter, not wanting to let go. I wanted him to protect me from the monster he had created.

"Sh, sh, sh, sh." He tried to calm me down. "What happened?"

I couldn't speak at all. When I tried to explain what happened, all that came out were chokes and other weird noises.

"C'mon." He pulled me with him towards the house. We got inside, and he saw the mystery man holding Harley down. "What happened Jonathan?" He sounded incredibly annoyed.

The mystery man, Jonathan, didn't move from Harley. "Boss. I heard screaming, and when I came in... Harley was on top of your friend, choking her." He sounded frightened as well. "She would have killed her if I hadn't of pulled her off of her." He explained.

By then the Joker had let go of me, but not before Harley saw me wrapped in his arms. I hope she enjoyed that.

The Joker walked around to her, telling Jonathan to let her go. She sprang up, trying to explain to him why she had almost killed me. "Please Mistah J! I didn't mean to! I promise I won't do it again!"

But the Joker didn't wan to hear it, and threw a punch at her face. She was knocked down to the floor, and I didn't feel bad for her at all. "If this is how you're going to treat my friends... Then you don't deserve to be here with me!" He screamed at her.

The Joker flashed me a wide grin as he pulled her by her hair outside, tossing her into the grass. He shut the door as he followed her out, and the rest was not audible.

**SexyJokerLovers: Whoa! Harley Quinn is nuts! And Jill sort of gives in to her conflicting feelings about the Joker. Any one catch my High School Musical reference? "I'd rather stick needles in my eyes." By Sharpay Evans. Ah... I'm such a dork. Any way, tell your friends to read this. Tell your mom, your mom's mom. Your friend's mom. Your mom's friend. Your neighborhood hobo. Hobos from other neighborhoods. Haha. ICarly. Okay, must sleep!**


	4. A Bruised Soul

**SexyJokerLovers:**** Ah. Okay. This is the longest I've ever worked on a chapter. Sorry for not updating sooner. I hope you guys like it.**

The Joker had thrown Harley Quinn onto the ground and stepped outside with her. "Harley, Harley, Harley. We need to have a little talk."

She tried to crawl away, but he quickly pounced on her, trapping her beneath him. She began to plead with him. "Please, Mistah J! I didn't mean to!"

He kicked her in the stomach, shutting her up. "I've only asked one thing from you, Harley. And that was... to amuse me once in a while." He was going to kill her for what she'd done. "And you know what? Trying to kill my friend is not very a-mus-ing."

He punched her in the nose, causing it to bleed. "Please! I wasn't going to..." She was cut off as he kicked her again.

"You weren't going to what? Kill her?" He began to yell. "Well, you weren't doing a very good job of trying to keep her alive!" She cried out as he slapped her. "I told you... she was getting into trouble and I was going to help her. You didn't believe me. And you know how much I don't like that."

He continued to wail on her, blood spurting all over his suit. He pulled out a small knife and brought it down to her face. "I was kind enough to take you in when the rest of the world cast you out. And this is how you repay me?"

He could see the fear in her eyes as he rose the knife above her head. He brought it down to her, but stopped before it got to her chest. He dropped the knife on the ground next to her and laughed.

"It's funny... I will kill a man just for looking at me the wrong way, but I can't bring myself to kill you, even though you really deserve it." He licked his lips. "No. I'm not going to kill you." He pulled her face lose to his. "But, hear this, Ms. Quin. If I ever catch you up around her, I will blow your brains out. Leave now. And never. Come. Back."

He climbed off of her, and she wobbled away. The Joker pulled out a gun, and aimed it by her. He pulled the trigger, and she jumped. She started to run faster with every gunshot. He thoroughly enjoyed her reactions, laughing hysterically every time she screamed.

When she disappeared behind the corner, he tossed the gun back into his pocket. He looked down at his clothes, and noticed the blood stains.

He knew she couldn't hear him, but he yelled it anyway. "Dammit, Harley! You've ruined my new suit!"

He turned to face the door. He was still burning with anger as he brushed his hair back and adjusted his coat before stepping inside.

* * *

I watched carefully as the Joker tossed Harley Quinn onto the lawn. I couldn't tell what he was saying, but I could tell that he was shouting at her.

She looked up at him in terror, hoping he wouldn't kill her. She pleaded with him to let her stay, but he kicked her in the stomach, forcing her into silence. He pounded on her, throwing punches like his life depended on it.

Blood spewed from her nose, and fell onto him as he slammed his fist into her face. I couldn't stand it anymore. I was going to break them up just so her blood could stop flowing.

She managed to crawl away from him, only to have him climb on top of her. He pulled a knife out of his coat pocket, dangling it in front of her face.

By that time, many of the men had hovered over to the windows, trying to get a glimpse of what their boss was about to do.

The Joker had brought the knife to her blood covered face, taunting her with it. He brought it up over his head, and began to descend it into her when he stopped. I could hear him muffle something to her, and she shot up. She darted away from the house, limping down the street. The Joker pulled out a small gun from his pocket, firing bullets at her, but purposefully missing. I now felt like throwing up. The sight of blood gets me nauseous.

Harley disappeared behind the block, and the Joker wobbled inside. His men jumped back from the windows, and went back to work like nothing had happened. I still lung to the wall, trying to see where Harley ran off to. I would have hated the Joker or tried to stop him for beating a girl like that, but considering she almost killed me moments ago, it didn't bother me.

The Joker slammed the door shut, not making eye contact with anyone as he climbed up the stairs and shot around the corner.

I clenched my arm and turned around to see the mystery man, who I now know his name is Jonathan, staring at me. Now that I could see more than just the back of his head, I could see he was probably in his early forties, with brown, thinning hair, and a brown beard. He was a bit chunky, and had a small scar above his left eye I didn't know how I felt about him considering he was stalking me the other day.

I say the only thing that I can think of. "Thank you." By then every one had left the room, leaving the two of us by ourselves.

He was still huffing, still out of breath from the earlier confrontation. "No... problem. You, okay?"

I knew I wasn't okay, but I nodded my head anyway. "Are you okay?"

He nodded his head, walking over towards me. He held his hand out to me. "Jonathan." I reached out and shook it. "Jill."

He kind of half smiled at me and began to walk away. A deep pain spread throughout my side, causing me to give a loud moan. Jonathan had heard this and turned around to face me. I clenched my side, and felt a warm liquid drenched my shirt. I pulled my hand up and stared at my blood stained palm. I don't know how I couldn't have noticed the blood slowly oozing out before. The numbness made me think nothing was wrong.

I couldn't stand the sight of blood, especially mine. I collapsed to my knees, still holding my side. A wave of nausea swam over me, and my vision went blurry.

"Boss!" I could hear Jonathan shout, which was the last thing I remembered before I blacked out.

* * *

The Joker had heard Jonathan screaming from down the hall. He was so loud he debated on shooting him just o shut him up.

But when Jonathan approached the Joker, he knew something was wrong. Jonathan was sweating profusely and his words weren't making any sense.

"Boss! Your friend! She's... " Was all he could get out before the Joker pushed passed him, sprinting down the stairs to Jill. He saw her unconscious on the floor, with a small puddle of blood by her stomach. He bent down to her, and lifted her shirt up to see a small stab wound underneath her rib cage on her left side. How had he not noticed it before? When she hugged him, how could he not feel the blood flowing from her side? He pound a patch of blood on his vest, but he assumed it was Harley's...

Nonetheless, she needed medical attention. She needed stitches, and by the way her forearm was purple and swollen, she most likely broke it and needed a cast.

He carefully picked her up, heading into a small bathroom just around the corner. He propped her up on the counter, and investigated her gash. It wasn't deep, or a bad cut for that matter. But knowing Jill, she freaked out from the sight of her blood spilling out.

He pulled out some gauze from the cabinet, and wrapped it around her stomach. He debated stitching her up himself since he found himself often sewing his own cuts up and was almost a professional at it, but decided against it. He didn't want to risk messing it up and her hating him even more than she already did. He felt o stupid for bringing her here. Of course Harley would have tried something stupid like this. She got jealous at the drop of a hat. He should have just killed her when he had the chance, instead of letting her go like that.

He intently watched her to see if she would wake up. When she didn't move, he leaned over the sink, washing his make up off. When he got every once of paint off of his face, he reached into a drawer and pulled out two flesh colored latex strips. He used them occasionally when he needed to go out in public and not be recognized as the Joker.

He quickly placed them over his scars, concealing them underneath. They were uncomfortable and itched like crazy, but they hid his identity. He pulled his hair back into a baseball cap, and threw on a different shirt that wasn't stained with blood. He watched himself carefully. He was Jack again, and he hated it. Luckily it wouldn't last long.

He scooped Jill up again, heading for the living room. No one dared question him as he brought the wounded girl outside and placed her in her car. He hopped in and drove off, trying to think of an alibi for what had happened.

He was going to go with the story that she was his sister, and they were jumped in an alley.

They arrived at the newly built Gotham General at around eight o'clock. The Joker relished in the thought that just months ago, he had blown up this hospital. He grinned as the memory swam over him. He remembered the explosion, laughing at the thought. They had rebuilt it fairly quickly after that.

He came back around to Jill's side, and pulled her out of the car. He rushed her into the emergency room, demanding some one take care of her now.

At the sight of all the blood that covered her shirt, a gurney was quickly rushed to her. The joker placed her on it, and didn't leave her side until they entered the examine room.

"You'll have to wait out here, sir." A nurse told him. He hesitantly waited outside of the room for her, in a chair that wasn't too comfortable.

The same nurse came out, and explained to him what happened. "Nothin serious. She broke her right femur, which we put in a cast and will recover fully. We stopped the bleeding to her side and gave her twenty stitches, which should also heal fine."

The Joker paced back and forth as she continued. "She woke up once, but when she saw her blood, she fainted. She's still out now, and might be for sometime. We gave her some painkillers, which should help her out too."

"Great, Thanks." The Joker began. "So how long until she can leave?"

She looked at him, the tone of his voice sounding familiar. "As soon as she wakes up." She began. "We found some... bruising on her neck. What did you say happened again?"

She said it in a tone that made it sound like she was questioning his story. Sure his story was bogus, but he would never do something like this to her.

"We were jumped by some goons." He said, trying to sound emotional.

She looked him up and down. "And what is your relation to her?"

"She's my sister." He lied. He was already precautious and had fake IDs made for the both of them. They were Devon and Alice Walker, brother and sister.

He heard her give a loud, "Hm", and walked back into the exam room.

He sat back down in his chair, scratching the uncomfortable latex that resided on his face, waiting patiently for something to happen.

The same nurse soon came back out. "Well..." She started. "She's awake, and we've given her more painkillers, which have made her kind of groggy. She'll need constant assistance for the next couple of days doing various daily activities." She opened the doors, and two doctors helped Jill out "I assume you'll be the one helping out your sister."

He nodded his head and reached out for Jill, her eyes widening at the sight of him.

* * *

They told me I was probably not going to remember what had happened since I passed out the first time. They told me I was groggy and hyped up on medicine, but I didn't think it was so much that it had me seeing things.

As soon as I was brought out of the exam room, I questioned my sanity as I saw Jack Napier holding his hands out to me. I didn't fully understand what was happening, but I knew that previously Harley Quinn had almost killed me in a fight we had. I had broken my femur, and what I thought to be a couple broken ribs turned out to be a full on stab wound. I still don't understand how I couldn't feel he inject the knife into my side.

I was hesitant to take Jack's hand, but since he was my best friend I knew I could trust him. I knew he was here to take me home to take care of me. I tripped over my own feet, and he caught me. My head was spinning and I could barely get my legs to work.

Jack lead me out of the hospital, and helped me into my car. I was still confused by why he was here. If this was Jack, then where was the Joker? I some how felt nauseous at the thought, and rested my head against the car door. My eyes began to drop, and I felt myself falling asleep.

I woke up in the middle of the night in my bed at the Joker's house. It was completely dark, and it felt as if I was in a freezer. Goosebumps rose on my arms as I looked over and saw the Joker asleep in a chair he must have brought in here. How long had he been there? Did he stay up the whole time to make sure I was okay?

I loud groan escaped my lips as a sharp pain engulfed my side. The Joker's eyes popped open, and he stretched out. Once he noticed me clenching my side, he wobbled over, and pulled out a bottle of Tylenol from his coat pocket. He tossed it to me, and I tossed two in my mouth.

"God. Your coat is like a black hole or something." I grabbed my forehead. "Someone could get lost in that thing if they tried hard enough."

He chuckled, turned on the light, and sat himself next to me on the bed. "How ya feeling?"

Honestly, I had no clue. I investigated my purple cast, feeling it's rough texture. Besides the obvious pain in my sides and my arm being broken, I still didn't know how I felt about him. In the past twenty four hours, he had kidnapped me and starved me, but he had thrown my attacker out, beating her into a pulp, and got me to the hospital to make sure I was okay. He wouldn't have done that if he didn't care, right?

The only question was, did that make up for what he'd done? He was still the Clown Prince of Crime, the Harlequin of Hate, and that would never change.

"I don't really know." I answer his question, looking up at him. I could see something change in his expression.

"What... all do you remember?" He asked suddenly.

I tried remembering as much as possible. "Um... some parts are kind of fuzzy." I begin. "I remember Harley nearly killing me, you nearly killing her. I saw my blood and fainted, then the rest is all fuzzy. I remember waking up and was hovered over by a couple of doctors, before they took me out and..."

He turned towards me. "And... What?"

I flinched slightly. "Nothing. I was too groggy. I just thought I saw..." I trailed off, trying to piece together what I saw.

He threw his hand to my shoulder, squeezing it tight. "Who?"

"I thought I saw... Jack." I expected him to snap at me, so I squinted my eyes, readying myself for the pain he was about to cause me.

When he didn't even so much as say a word, I was almost worried. I looked up at him, scratching his scars. "But, it was probably just the painkillers."

"No." He startled me. "I couldn't very well show up to a hospital I previously blew up and expect them to help me out, could I?"

"Why didn't you just have one of your guys bring me then?" I ask.

He licked hi lips. "Well... because you're my friend. Not theirs. And these clowns... don't know how to be gentle to a lady."

I gave a sigh. "Are you sure you didn't do it just to get a little thrill from them letting you in right under their noses?"

"Oh Jill." He leaned his head over in laughter. "You know me so well."

I remembered how I still didn't know what time it was, even though I was pretty sure it was the middle of the night.

The Joker checked his watch, and informed me that it was three in the morning. "Ah... speaking of time. It's time to check your stitches. The first few hours have the greatest risk of opening, so we need to be... extra careful."

He reached for me and grabbed the end of my tank top when I shoved his hands away. I didn't want him looking at me there, even though it was only my stomach.

"C'mon, Jill. I've seen it all before. No need to be... embarrassed." He joked.

The thought swam throughout my head. He had seen it all before and more. During our sophomore year in college, we were at a pool party. I dove into the pool, and when I came up, my top was at the other side of the pool. Everyone had see, and I almost died of shock.

I let him lift my shirt up to the bottom of my bra. He unwrapped the cloth from my waist, and carefully checked out my stitches. I took one look and almost vomited all over myself. It was all green and swollen, and it hurt like hell. It didn't help that the Joker was stroking it with his hand. I winced, and he pulled my shirt down. He reached over and grabbed my cast.

"Oh yeah. The doctor's ex-pec-ting you to come back in eight weeks, Alice Walker. But once you'll be in New York, you'll just have to go there to get it off." He said nonchalantly.

Of course he wouldn't tell them who I really was. He always had to complicate things. "I see." I couldn't think of anything else to say.

I wanted to go back to sleep, but he still firmly held my arm. "You know... purple is my favorite color."

Oh how could I not? Purple coat, pants and gloves. Not to mention how obsessed he got over purple when we were kids.

I looked up at the dresser, which had a mirror attached to the top. I could see bruises all along my neck from where Harley had choked me. I also felt something. Something... metal.

I pull the chain from out of my shirt. I take one look at it, and see that it is the necklace that the Joker gave me. "Did you... put this around my neck?" I asked.

He didn't say anything, and I turned my attention back to my reflection. I was fixed on myself, rubbing my neck with my left hand. I could barely see the Joker pull something out of his pocket out of the corner of my eye. He brought it over to my cast, and I flinched.

"Relax..." He assured me. "It's only a marker. Damn Harley. She's gotten you on edge again."

Was that really all he was concerned about? Me being okay so he could have a "good" time with me? I've made up my mind about him. He may have saved my life, but he was still Gotham's most wanted, a mass-murdering clown.

He began writing something on my cast, but I forced him to stop when I yanked it from his grasp. I didn't want him touching me right now. I wanted him to leave me alone.

"Jeez..." He said grabbing my face. "You... need to relax. You know, that I'm not going to hurt you."

He reached for my arm again, but I pulled it away from him. This time he snapped, pushing me down on the bed, and climbed on top of me.

He held both of my arms down, but my legs kicked violently. He brought the marker over my cast again.

"Oh, Jill. You are just so serious all the time. Lighten up a bit. You'll have more fun that way." He began scribbling all over my cast, creating little doodles and writing all over it. when he was finished, he jumped off of me, and walked to the door.

I looked over the cast, seeing many drawings of him messing with Batman. There were many "HaHaHa's" on it as well.

"Since we had to... postpone my little surprise..." He began. "We'll just have to do it tomorrow. I know how sad you must be."

And with that, he left the room. He made sure and locked me in though. To be honest about his "surprise", I was terrified. He might have something planned that will hurt me or kill me. He'd be going back on his promise, but I'm pretty sure he's done it before.

I was still tired, and my eyes began to fall. I fought my body, not wanting to close my eyes. I figured if I was awake, I was prolonging the "surprise."

But, I eventually gave in, my body overthrowing me. I pulled the covers over my head, dreading what I was going to face when I woke up.

When my eyes open, all I could see was red. I rose up, trying to figure out what was happening. My hands immediately flew to my eyes, touching a blindfold that was tied around them. How did I not feel it being put on me while I was asleep? I new I was a deep sleeper, but not that deep...

I tried to pull off the blindfold, but a loud gunshot made me jump. My heart began to pound as he spoke. " Don't. Even. Think. About it." The Joker growled.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and I dropped my hands into my lap. Fear engulfed my body, and I was unable to react. He had a gun, and this was his surprise. He was going to shoot me, then probably throw me in a ditch.

He giggled, and I heard him walk towards me. I flinched as he grabbed my arm, and pulled me off of the bed. He pushed me in front of him, holding a knife to my cheek.

"Walk." He whispered in my ear.

I did as I was told. He lead me from behind, guiding me out of the room. I put my arms out in front of me so I didn't accidentally run into anything.

He lead me down the stairs, going as slow as possible. After falling down them yesterday, I wasn't taking any chances.

We finally made it down. I assumed we were in the living room, because that's what you hit when you get down the stairs. He let go of me. "What's going on?" I ask frantically. I knew he was going to do something, but I didn't know what. "Joker?"

He didn't respond, and I stood there in silence until I couldn't take the tension anymore. I ripped the blindfold off, and what I saw shocked me more than death ever could.

**SexyJokerLovers:**** Hey so this isn't my favorite chapter, but I still think it's pretty good. What do y'all think so far? I really value your opinions and comments. They make my writing better. Any way... Jokerism is a new religion me and my friend made. We are Jokerites and Joker is our Buddha. Okay, goodnight!**


	5. A Blast From the Past

**SexyJokerLovers: **** Hey guys! This chapter took me so long! Urg... I promise I'll stick to a chapter a week schedule. Hope you like it.**

In front of me stood a small projector screen, with a beam of light shinning on it. In front of the screen was a small couch, one that wasn't there before. I couldn't see the Joker anywhere. What was going on? It scared me because I didn't know what he had planned. And it almost looked... fun.

I felt a presence come up behind me, grabbing my shoulders. "You weren't suppose... to take your blindfold off yet."

I turned around to face him. "What do you think you're doing?" I looked him in his black-covered, brown eyes.

"Ah..." He walked past me, and jumped onto the couch, giggling as he did it. He motioned his hand on the seat, telling me to sit down next to him. I didn't budge. "You still don't trust me, do you? That hurts me. Right here." He pointed to his heart. "Either sit down yourself, or be forced. It's your choice."

But I continued to stand there. I wanted to know what we were going to do, then I would sit with him. "Tell. Me. What we're going. To. Do. Then I'll take a seat."

He scoffed, rolling his eyes at me. "You know what? I've changed my mind." He reached into the couch cushions, pulling gout a remote. "I'm starting to like this... aggression of yours. Your... anger, and hatred is slowly spilling out. And it's ri-vet-ing."

I gave out a fake laugh, which then turned into a real one. I cupped my hand over my mouth as I began to laugh hysterically. I couldn't really explain why, but something about him changing his mind all the time cracked me up.

"What's so funny?" He asked. I didn't respond, clutching my stomach. "Can I please... be let in on the joke?"

Him saying that only made me laugh harder. "You're... the Joker... and you... want to be let in on the joke."

I could tell he didn't find it funny, and I slowly began to control myself. I wiped the tears from my eyes because I was laughing that hard. "Oh geez. I needed that. Thanks."

He gave me a stern look, so I told him why I was cracking up. "You're so indecisive. You never could make up your mind about what you wanted." I began, chuckling a bit as I explained it. "You wanted me calm, now you like me aggravated. And all this just to have some fun?"

He didn't say anything, pointing to the couch while his cheek twitched.

"Tell me what we're watching first." He didn't respond, only tapping his foot. "Fine. Don't tell me. I'll find out for myself."

I jumped onto the couch, yanking the remote out of his hand. He looked surprised as I pressed play. I set the remote down and scooted over to the other side of the couch, as far away from him as possible.

The screen lit up, and a blurry shot came into view. It then cut to a shot of a birthday party, with a little girl sitting in front of her birthday cake. I had to rub my eyes to make sure I was seeing things clearly. The girl in the video... it was me. It was my tenth birthday party. Where did he get this?

I paused the video before I blew out my candles. "How... do you have this?"

He gave a slight laugh. "Jill. You forget I have extensive resources. I get my info one way... or another."

"I thought you didn't like to dwell on the past." I said, staring down at my shoes.

"But you... you are my past. I wouldn't have brought you here if I didn't want to bring up my past."

He gave me a look, motioning his hands back to the screen. Reluctantly, I pressed play.

I could see the ten year old me, blowing out the candles. My mom was behind the camera. "Jillien, what did you wish for honey?"

Everyone cheered when I opened my mouth. "I can't say it. Other wise it wont come true."

It's funny, what I wished for. I wished for it every year. I wished, Jack and I would be friends forever. Ha.

My dad took the candles out of my cake. A small figure came up behind me. I would no that face anywhere. Jack. Scar less, happy Jack. He put his hands up against the back of my head, and pushed it into the cake. The Joker giggled, bouncing up and down in his seat. One look at my face, and I couldn't help but give a small grin.

The ten year old me screamed his name, before grabbing a handful of cake and throwing it at him. Soon, everyone joined in, chucking cake at each other. I could hear my mom yelling in the background to stop, before frosting splattered against the lens. The entire screen went black, before it went back to fuzz.

Another video came up, this time it was what looked to be a thirteen year old Jack shuffling a deck of cards at a small green table. It was at my house, a day when Jack had followed me home from school just because he didn't want to go home.

The thirteen year old me came into view. "C'mon Jack! Show me something already. I'm not getting any younger!"

Jack only laughed, and pulled the cards up to my face. "Okay, pick a card." He sounded slightly annoyed.

I pulled out a queen of hearts, and showed it to the camera which was facing my back. I placed it back into the deck while Jack closed his eyes. He shuffled the cards again, and placed them down on the table.

He waved his hand around the cards, indicating some mystical powers he possessed. "Well?" I asked when nothing happened.

"What?" He questioned back. "I don't have your card." Which confused me. "You do," He snickered.

"What are you talking about? No I don't! It's in the deck!" I excitedly yelled.

He shook his head no, and pointed to me. "Nope. You have it. Check your pockets."

He smiled at me, and I reached into my left pocket. Nothing. "Look, there's nothing in my..." I stopped as I reached into my other pocket, pulling out a folded card. I opened it out, and revealed it to be the queen of hearts. I looked up at Jack in bewilderment.

"How did you do that?" I asked, amazed at what he'd just done.

He smiled at me, and tapped his fingers on the table. "A good magician... never reveals his secrets."

"No. C'mon tell me. Or I'll find out for myself." I told him. when he didn't respond, I rushed over to him, searching throughout the cards, trying to figure out what happened.

"You'll never be able to figure it out." He teased me. Which was the last thing he said before the screen went back to fuzz.

The next video came up, and it hurt my ears because of all the screaming. I could see the camera zooming in and out, before it auto focused. I could make out that it was our eleventh grade car wash, saving up for prom.

The camera closed in on the seventeen year old me. I had on a bathing suit top, with blue jean shorts, and was covered with soap.

I turned towards the camera. "Jack, no don't film me. C'mon! You need to be helping! These cars aren't going to wash themselves!"

"That is what automated car washes are for!" He brought the camera over to my sud covered face. "You know the only reason why we're getting customers, right?"

I stopped washing the red corvette and looked at the camera. "No. What?"

"Have you noticed there's only guys who are getting their cars washed?" He asked. I looked at him for a while, trying to figure out what he meant. "Look around. Who all are washing the cars?"

I looked around, and the camera darted to each and every girl cleaning the car. "Um... Girls" I say awkwardly.

He scoffed. " You're still not getting it?" He bent down, and the camera moved slightly. "They want to see your boobs." He whispered.

"No. You're crazy. They just want their cars washed is all." I laugh back, blushing a little. "Okay, c'mon now. You need to help us out. We need way more money if we're going to have an awesome prom."

He gave a loud sigh. "Prom this. Prom that. It's still like a year away." He continued. "I just don't see the big deal in putting so much time and effort into something that only lasts a couple of hours."

"Of course you wouldn't understand. It's way more than that. It's our last night to be young and careless. The girls get to wear beautiful gowns, and the guys get to dress up all handsome. It's just... Magical." I explained to him. Prom just struck me as the most  
wonderful night of your teenage life.

"Nah... I still think it sucks." He chuckled.

I was annoyed now. "Take that back!" I yelled as I splashed water on him.

He gasped and set the camera on the ground, to where you could still see our feet. "Oh... You're going to regret that!"

"No!" I screamed and tried to run away. He soon caught me, and pulled me down into the grass. He held me down, dumping a bucket of freezing cold, soapy water on me. We both almost died from laughter, and he climbed off of me when the adult supervisor began yelling at us. Jack came back to the camera, pressing a button, and it went black.

The screen was black for a couple of seconds, and I didn't dare look over at the Joker. I still didn't understand why he was playing me these.

The next video swam into view, and I pulled my legs up to my chest, hugging them tightly.

The camera showed a door. My bedroom door from home. A hand pushed it open, and my room filled the view. The camera hastily crossed through my room, the revealed me laying on my bed, face down on my pillow sobbing.

He sat down on the edge of my bed, the camera still pointed on me. "Jack. Please go away. I don't want to see anyone right now."

He didn't move. "Jill, your mom called me. She said you ran in here, crying, and not talking to anyone. I rushed right over."

I sat up, throwing my pillow over the camera lens. "I'll only tell you if you turn the camera off."

"Sure thing." He reached over and pulled the pillow away from the lens, pressing a button as he did it.

I was expecting it to end, but the camera didn't shut off. Instead the view was still on me laying down, with the bottom half of his legs at the right side of the screen. My mouth gasped open, but at the same time I wasn't that surprised. He did stuff like that all the time. I some what felt embarrassed. Looking back on it now, I felt so stupid for crying about t.

"Now, dry those tears... And tell ole Jack what's the matter." Jack sprung over to me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders.

I wiped away my tears, trying to get a grip on myself. "I caught Derek kissing some girl after school. He didn't even try to explain himself. He just told me we weren't working out, and that it was over." I began crying again. Derek was my first boyfriend, who I thought I was in love with. Now looking back on it I don't think I ever really was.

"That jerk. I ought to teach him how to treat a lady." He brushed a few strands of hair away from my face, and I leaned my head on his shoulder.

I small giggled passed through my lips. "No. Don't do that. He'll snap you like a twig. You forget he's captain of the wrestling team."

"Are you... Calling me weak?" He joked.

"No, not at all." I began. "I just think, that you're not as... Skilled as he is." I looked up at him, my voice shaking. "Jack, what about prom? It's three days away. I can't show up alone."

"Who says you have to?" He asked. "I'll take you, if you want."

He brought a little excitement to my depressed soul. "That won't be too weird?"

"Not at all. Friends go with each other to prom all the time." He explained.

"But you hate prom." I gave him a reason not to go. "You won't have any fun. I don't want you to be bored the whole time."

He pulled hi shoulder from my head, and I glanced up at him. "I don't care If it sucks for me. You deserve to be happy. Don't try and talk me out of it. My mind's already made up."

Curious, I asked, "But you don't even own a tux! How will you get one by Saturday?"

"I'll scrounge up something one way or another." He assured me.

"Hey... What are friends for?" Was the last thing he said before the clip ended.

I looked over at the Joker, wanting him to explain why he was showing me the videos.

"Sh, sh, sh!" He cut me off, directing my attention back to the screen.

I grabbed the remote, pausing the oncoming video. "Why are you showing me these? I know what happens! I was there!"

"I know you were." He snatched the remote out of my hands. "I just thought you would like to see them... Since you haven't watched them in years."

I was content when he told me. "Well then that's all you had to say!" I reached over and pressed play. I really wanted to watch the rest of what he had brought. I wanted him to maybe connect with the old Jack, if only for a moment. I wanted to see him as well. To enjoy just mere moments with my best friend before he turned into this... Lunatic.

I sat back onto the couch, carefully observing the next clip as it came up. The view was shaky, but Jack soon came into view. It was prom bight, and he was waiting by the end of the stairs for me to come down to meet him.

He looked utterly amazing in his suit. His dirty blond hair came down to the bottom of his jaw, but was superbly brushed back.

My mom was yelling in the background. "Jillien! Get down here! We're all waiting!"

I groaned loudly. "I look ridiculous!" I yelled from around the corner. When I appeared at the top of the staircase, I saw that the eighteen year old me was freaking out over nothing. I looked exquisite. I had on a long, navy blue mermaid dress with sequins on the straps. My heels were a silver color, and my hair was curled, half of it pulled back into a ponytail.

I fumbled down the stairs, meeting Jack and my parents at the bottom. He held his hand out to me, and I clenched onto it, him leading me down the rest of the way.

I looked him up and down, at a loss for words. My eyes enlarged at the sight. "Jeez, Jack! You went all out. You look... Wow. I mean, it's just... Wow."

"Me? Nah... But you look pretty wow yourself." He smiled.

Dad spun me around, pushing me into Jack's arms. We did the while traditional prom picture, with me in front of him, his arms around my waist, mine around his.

Mom held the video camera, filming my dad going crazy with pictures. Finally when I had enough, I let go of Jack. "Okay, dad! I think we're good. It's not that big a deal. It's just prom." I looked up at Jack, who was giggling at my lack of enthusiasm.

The video ended, and I snuck a quick peek at the Joker. He wore a wide grin, his gaze not leaving the screen. I reverted my attention there too, trying to hide my week smile. I didn't want him thinking I was smiling at him, the Joker. I was smiling at Jack.

Yet another video popped up, but it wasn't very long. It was extremely choppy, like it was taken from a camera phone. It showed prom, and everyone there. It was just some guy running around videoing everyone dancing and hanging out.

The guy finally spotted Jack and I, rushing over to film us. Jack held me in his arms, my arms around his neck, rocking side to side to a slow song. From my point of view back then, it seemed like two friends enjoying each other's company. But seeing it now, we almost looked like... a couple. I just hoped he didn't notice it as well.

The screen black out again, and the memories soon flew into my brain about what had happened right after this was shot.

Derek was at prom, and when he stumbled upon us, he wasn't in a good mood. By the way he fumbled his words and almost fell on the way over to us, I could tell he had been drinking. the alcohol on his breath confirmed it for me.

"Well, well, well. Look at what we have here." He clasped Jack's shoulder, looking over at me. "Jillien, baby. It's only been what, three days? And you're already with another guy."

Jack brushed his hand from his shoulder, and I grabbed his arm. "You're drunk. Leave us alone Derek."

We began to walk away when he yanked me from Jack's grasp, pulling me into him. "Relax, sweet heart. I just wanted a little dance is all." He held me tight, and I couldn't break apart from him. "Aren't you a nice little firecracker tonight."

"Derek, stop." I pleaded with him. "Derek, let me go!" His hands began wandering about my body. "Jack!"

Jack sprang up from behind Derek, throwing him to the ground. And unfortunately, since he was holding me, I collapsed too. Everyone had turned around, seeing Jack beat upon Derek. I jumped up, trying to get him to stop. Violence was not an option for me, even if Derek did deserve it.

Since Derek was intoxicated, he didn't put up much of a fight. Jack stopped finally when the principle pulled him of Derek. I ran to him, and the principle forced us both to leave the dance.

I was furious at him, but at the same time I was thrilled that he showed Derek a thing or two to defend my honor.

My thoughts were cleared when the next video came up. How many of these did he have? How many were left?

The video took place at out high school graduation, two weeks after the prom fiasco. Jack shoved the camera in my face, asking me all about how I was feeling. "So, Jill. This is you last year in high school. Are you nervous about going out into the real world?"

I pushed the camera back a ways. "Not at all. I'm going to be marvelous in whatever I do." I grabbed the camera from him, revealing his magnificent complexion. "So what about you? How is Jack Napier going to handle life in the real world?"

"Hopefully, my parents funds wont run out." He laughed. He moved the camera back towards me, him scooting in the shot too. "Our last... minutes of high school are right here." He gave a scared expression, turning towards me.

The screen shut off, going to fuzz before the last video came on. The last known footage of us together.

A bell rung as Jack and I entered a small shop. It was about a month into the summer when we stupidly contemplated getting tattoos of each other's name, sealing our friendship in ink.

We approached the counter, while Harry, one of Jack's other friends, filmed us. I don't know why Jack insisted on documenting our "big" moments.

Two artists led us to opposite sides of the salon, while we were anxiously waiting for them to begin. I was getting mine in the center of my lower back, between my hip bones. Jack was getting his on the back of his right shoulder.

Harry came running over to me when the tattoo artist, completely full of tattoos, lifted the back of my shirt up. The needle sunk into my skin, causing me to flinch. It hurt like crazy, and never before had I felt so much pain that would make me want to cry.

I looked over at Jack, who had his shirt off, his eyes squinting from the needles being injected into his shoulder. He gave me a fake smile, and I gave an angered one back.

The only sounds were the noises coming from the machines, and Harry, cracking up at out faces. "You guys, oh ya'll are crazy!"

"Hey, Jill. How you holding up?" Jack screamed from across the shop.

"Who, me?" I shrieked. "I'm great. I'm amazing. Never better." I said, not wanting to sound like I couldn't take the pain.

"Oh. That's good." He screamed. "Because mine hurts like hell!"

I turned my head away from his gaze, and Harry brought the camera around to my back, giving us a full view of my blood-soaked back. I couldn't even see the letters yet. It was just all blood.

"Ah, that's sick!" Harry freaked out.

The guy wiped away my blood, showing the "Jack" tattooed across my back. He put a few finishing touches on it, before taking a picture of it on his phone, allowing me to see it.

I was finished, so Harry and I waltzed over to Jack, still having the ink being applied to him.

"Okay, let's see it." He begged me. I turned around, lifting up the back of my shirt. "What? No! They spelled my name wrong!"

"Ha, ha, ha. Very funny." I laughed. "No, I would like die if that happened."

His artist finished him up, wiping his blood away. The camera zoomed in on my name. Despite all the blood, it looked pretty good.

We walked over to the counter to pay for our permanent emblems. Jack pulled out hi debit card, paying for his. "While you pay for yours, I'll bring the car around."

He climbed out the door just as I handed the lady my card. Harry still had the camera fixed on me. "So..." The cashier began. "You got his name tattooed, and he got yours."

"Yes, that is correct." I scoffed.

She gave a loud "humph". "His name is permanently apart of you. And yours is apart of him." I still didn't get what she was getting at.

"And... your point is?" I snapped.

She handed me back my debit card. "Look, I know it's not my place..." She started. "But, many couples come in here and get each other's names tattooed. I always hear that sometime later that they break it off, and they have to live with the other person's name on them forever."

I laughed. "Oh, so you think? No. We're not..." I tried to formulate my words. "He's my best friend. I would never get a boyfriends name tattooed, no matter how in love with him I am." I continued. "No. Relationships come and go, but friends will always be there."

I smiled and walked out, Harry quickly following behind me. The doorbell chimed, and the screen went black for the last time.

I didn't dare move, thinking about what I had just said. "Friends are always there." It wasn't true, and we both knew it.

I developed enough courage to look over at him, but when spun my head, he was gone. I was so focused on the video that I didn't notice him leave. I looked behind me, but saw nothing.

"Obviously..." He spoke in my ear, making me jump. "Friends are not always there. You left... and that really irk-ed me."

I moved away from him, scooting to the edge of the couch. "Look, you didn't have to..."

"Yes I did!" He cut me off. He didn't have to become the Joker. I know his faced got mauled, but it was no excuse. "I came to you for help, and you threw me out."

"You weren't my friend anymore. You couldn't be." I threw my face into my hands to keep myself from crying. "You had gone crazy." I tried to stop it, but it came out of my mouth.

He leaped over the side, jumping onto the couch, grabbing my wrists. My right hand was in a cast, and he had to get a better grip on it. "I'm. Not. Crazy."

I laughed in his face. "You're right. Only a sane person would dress up like a clown."

"You know why... I had to do that." He frowned. "Jill, you're being hostel again. Just calm down, and think of all the memories we've had together. That's why I played them for you."

He wasn't making any sense. "But you're the one who got mad! Not me, I was actually enjoying them for a while!" I leaned my head back. "Jesus Christ! I'm trying my best here, and you just keep, pushing me back."

He looked away for a second, but his gaze quickly returned. "I guess... you are trying. Maybe... this will all work out for me after all." He sprung up, brushing his hair back. "So you still have strong feelings about me."

"Well, you can't just expect them to go away over night." I retorted.

"True, true. but I would have thought they would have gone away after four years." He smiled at me, holding his hand out. I grabbed it, and he pulled me off the couch. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, walking me back to my room.

"I've got some other things to take care of. You can just hang out here until I get back." He unlocked the door, leading me inside. "Since I now that you're putting in an effort, I trust that you'll stay here."

He turned and walked out, closing the door behind him. Did he really trust me? Did I really trust him? Was I actually contemplating being friends with him again?

**SexyJokerLovers: **** Hm... Is their friendship reforming? What do you think? Did you like it? Was it awesome? Was seeing the old Jack sad? I wanted to cry! Aw. I bet he was hot. Read and review!**


	6. Utterly and Complete Chaos

**SexyJokerLovers: ****Hey guys! So yeah new chapter! I don't know why but I had the most fun writing this chapter so far! I hope you enjoy it.**

I stood alone in the room, trying to figure out my emotions. I wasn't lying when I said would try to be his friend again. I honestly would, if he didn't try anything irrational. He would always be my best friend, no matter how hard I tried to fight it.

God. I've only been here two days, and I'm deciding to be his friend again. I'm senile, crazy, insane... I just want him to be Jack again. I would settle for part of him, if any, and if it meant that I had to re-friend him all over again, then so be it.

I trotted over to the dresser, lifting up my tank top. The stitches weren't a sickly green color anymore, but they still made me nauseous.

Dropping my shirt down, I collapsed onto the bed. I estimated that it was still early in the morning, sometime between eight and nine o'clock. I closed my eyes, attempting to rest for awhile.

When I couldn't pry myself to drift away, I propped myself on my back, fascinatingly viewing the ceiling tiles. I began to count them one by one, hoping it would pass the time.

I find myself waiting a couple of hours, anxiously wanting the Joker to return, to put an end to my boredom. I really didn't care how he did it, I just needed something to do.

Since he didn't lock me in, I felt it was okay to was downstairs. I didn't know who or what was going to run into, but it might just be some entertainment for me.

I hopped of the last step, glancing in the direction where the projection screen was, only to see that it was replaced by a small TV. Jonathan sat on the couch, curiously fixed on the news. I staggered toward him, my eyes fixed on it too. He looked nervous as I placed myself on the seat.

"Hi." I noticed no one was around but him. "Where is everyone?"

"They're all out helping the boss." He faced me. "I didn't go because of my  
leg." He lifted his pant leg up, revealing a bloodied bandage.

I turned my attention to the screen. "What's the story about?" My reporting side kicked in, and I became immediately interested.

"Oh, see for yourself." He grabbed the remote, turning the volume up a smidge. Mike Engel sat at the left hand side of the screen, holding up a white paper. "Good morning Gotham. We've just received a video from the Joker."

The Joker appeared on the screen, the camera zoomed in on his face to where his scars were shown in great detail. "Good morning Gotham! How has everyone been since our last visit?" He cackled. "I hope you're all enjoying your pathetic lives. Me, not so much. You see... Being locked up for so long... I have been deprived of what I do best." He  
clicked his tongue, his eyes darting around the room before returning back to the camera. "Let's play a game, shall we? Inside each school in Gotham, there is a bomb set to blow when I press this button." He held up a small green detonator.

"Now... This one," He showed the camera another device. "Is set to blow only one. Only I know which one. Now this is where you come in. This... Is the fun part." He brushed back his green tinted hair. "If you could choose only one to evacuate, which one would it be? That's the choice you have to make. We'll see if you picked correctly after that. Oh...

And if you try to evacuate more than one, I blow them all up." He moved the detonator over his throat. "You have until... Eleven thirty, so you'd better get to picking." His crazed laughter pierced through the video before it went back to Mike.

Jonathan flipped the TV off, cutting Mike off mid sentence. I'd almost forgotten he was there. We sat in silence for what seemed like hours before he spoke. "Hey, so I wanted to apologize for giving ya a scare in the park a couple of days ago."

It had completely slipped my mind that he was the one who did that. "Oh, no it's okay. I know you were put up to it."

"Yeah. We either do what the bass says, or it's hasta la vista." He explained.

I can imagine. Shot down even if you so much as hesitate to question him or say no. "Oh yes, I know. Tell me something, how did you get involved with the Joker?"

"A couple of months ago I was beating on this guy in an alley. The Joker was just walking by and asked if I'd join his team. I figured it be better cause I'd be paid to do it." He grumbled. "I don't really like what he's doing here, but I have to comply with him or who knows what happens. Now, I've only been here a couple of months, but he goes through guys so fast it would make your head spin. He just gets rid of them when he gets tired of them."

Then why was he still here? Maybe the Joker liked him better because he knew when to keep quiet. But I couldn't stop myself from asking the question that was on my mind. "If you don't mind my asking, then why hasn't he tossed you out yet?"

He sat in thought, stroking his beard. "Just keep this between us. But... I think it's because I'm a lot older than him. I think he might see me as a father figure he might have lacked growing up or something.

I knew that was the reason as soon as he said it. Jack never had a good relationship with his dad.

* * *

They were in tenth grade when Jack didn't show up to school for almost a week. Jill was worried, because he always told her when he wasn't going to be there.

During lunch, she snuck out of school, even though she knew she would get in trouble. She drove to Jack's house, which was a couple pf blocks away.

When she arrived, she was immediately engulfed by the stench of marijuana. There were empty bottles of whiskey on the lawn, and the door stood wide open.

She didn't know what she was going to find as she cautiously stepped inside. She was heavily intoxicated by sweat and body odor.

She made her way down the hall down to Jack's room, calling his name as she did it. She peaked through his bedroom door, and when she saw him thrown across the bed, covered in blood and giant red welts, she couldn't control herself as she vomited onto the crimson colored carpet.

He gave a soft groan, his eye lids slowly breaking apart. Jill quickly composed herself, rushing over to his bruised body. "Jack, who did this to you?"

He was too exhausted to even speak, so he only mumbled. "Dad... Drunk... Spilled on floor..."

"Okay. Jack, get some rest, I'm going to see if I can't get you cleaned up." He only moaned, and she left the room. She fathered a bowl of water and a washcloth, dipping it into the warm water. She rung it out, letting all the excess water flow merrily back into the  
bowl.

She started with his swollen back, carefully wiping all the blood off and cleansing his wounds. She kept herself from vomiting again as she looked over the rest of his body. The only other place where he was wounded was his face. He had a black eye that was almost swollen shut. His hair was completely drenched with sweat, and something else. Blood began to trickle down his forehead to his ear, and her hands flew to his scalp when she noticed it.

She pulled the washcloth to it, lightly dabbing the sliced area. He winced, but she continued until all the blood was gone.

When she was finished, she set the bowl of bloody water down on the ground, and brought a small fan over to where he lay. She turned it on, hoping that it would cool him off. She grabbed her backpack, heading over to the side next to him. She couldn't explain it, but seeing him like that made her feel very protective of him. She wasn't going to leave his side.

Jack woke up an hour later, turning his head around to see her a top his bed, doing her homework. "Jill... What on earth are you doing?" He asked softly.

She diverted her attention over to him. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm making a pizza."

He gave a faint chuckle. "No. I mean... What are you doing here? Why did you skip school?"

Jill sighed heavily, closing her book. "Jack... Because I knew something was wrong. I mean... Look at you... Look what he did to you."

"Oh, this? This is nothing compared to what he's done before." He explained, trying to push himself up.

She rushed over to his side, giving him support. She was dumfounded by what he had just said. "What do you mean, 'compared to what he's done before'?"

He groaned loudly, grabbing a bottle of pills. He slid two into his mouth, slightly choking afterward. "I've gotten it much worse. Believe me, this is nothing."

"Jack... If he's done this before, you need to tell someone. This is child abuse, he can't do that." She stepped back from him.

"No, it's not a big deal, I'm used to it." he tried bartering with her, but she wouldn't have it.

"Not a big deal? He whipped you have to hell! Your entire back is covered with welts! If you're not going to tell someone, then I will." She spat at him.

He squeezed his arm tightly. "Please... Don't do that. If he finds out someone told, he'd beat me ten times as hard as he did today. Promise me you won't tell."

"I... I... I won't tell. But I won't be okay with this. I can't stand to see you get hurt." Jill's eyes began to water.

"Don't worry, I won't show you. That's why I haven't gone to school the past couple of days. That and I was just too exhausted." Jack pointed down the hall. "I need... A shower."

She complied, holding his arm around her shoulder, lifting him up off the bed. It took every ounce of her strength to get him there, and when he got in and locked the door, she staggered back to his room, collapsing on the bed.

She became disgusted at the thought of Jack's dad hurting like this again. She didn't want to keep it a secret, but she was his best friend, and she was going to respect his wishes. No matter how crazy they were.

She realized something that day about herself. And ever since then, when Jack would come to school with a bruise on his face, or a cut on his arm, she would think on the man who did it in disgust. She found herself wanting something unfortunate to happen to him so Jack wouldn't be used as a punching bag anymore.

* * *

Jonathan's voice interrupted my thoughts. "Now tell me. How does a girl like you, get involved with a guy like him?"

I didn't respond right away. Should I tell him? My past is MY past, not his. But it would feel better if I got it out in the open. But if the Joker found out I told him, what would he do? "Okay, but he can't know I told you."

For some reason, something inside of me clicked, and I knew I could trust him. Maybe it was because we were both looked upon by the Joker in a different way. "Well... It's a long story. But, I've known him since we were nine years old. Way before he became the Joker." his eyes widened, and I continued. "He was my best friend up until out last year of college. He became the Joker, and we had a falling out."

"Hm... So is that why he was watching you? Because you were his best friend, and he wanted to make sure nothing happened to you?" He asked curiously.

Something about Jonathan made me keep telling him more. He reminded of my father, who I could tell anything. My thoughts and emotions slowly spilled out too. "I just don't know how I feel about him anymore. He's not the same person he once was. He's trying to earn my trust back by executing all of this, but I don't think things can go back to the way they were."

Jonathan coughed, causing me to jump. "So, then why are you here? Why don't you just leave?"

"I dint know anymore. He said he brought me here because he wanted to spend time with me before I started my new job in New York." I rested my head against the back of the couch. "I mean... We don't talk for four years. Then he just expects me to be friends with him after he kidnaps me." I release every thought I've had since he brought me here, and it felt good now that it was off my chest.

"I don't try to understand what goes on in the boss's head. I just do what be tells me to do without hesitation." He started. "But to me... It sounds like he's trying to prove something to you."

I scoffed. "Yeah. He's trying to prove to me how terrifying he can really be. I mean, look at what he's going to do, blow up a school full of innocent kids. To send what message? He hates kids? Homework suck? He has no reason. Nothing happened to him that would make him..." I trailed off in thought.

"Boss just loves chaos. He enjoys making people suffer." Jonathan explained.

"Unless..." It instantly came to me. A reason he would want to destroy a school. Gotham University. The place we stopped being friends. It was the only thing that would set him off.

I jumped from the couch, holding my hand out to Jonathan. "Do you have a phone?" He pulled out a small flip phone, tossing to me. I quickly dialed 911.

"What?" Jonathan screeched. I motioned my hand near his face to shut him up.

"911, what's your emergency?" A lady answered, sounding very chipper.

I breathed in deeply before answering her. "Gotham University. That's which one the Joker's going to blow up. Tell them to evacuate it now."

"Ma'am, who is this? How do you know this inform..." I flipped the phone closed, cutting her off.

Jonathan jumped up, and I tossed the phone to him. "How do you know which one it is?" He questioned.

"Another long story. But you can't tell the Joker what I just did." I felt my body begin to tremble. "If he finds out, I don't know what he's going to do."

"Okay, I won't." He sat back down, turning the TV back on. "Bit you have no idea what will happen if you're right. If it is the right one, he'll explode. Then we'll all be in hell."

I thought about it as I sat back down next to him. An angry Joker. Angrier than he is already? It doesn't seem possible. It would be worth it though. Just knowing that I saved the lives of thousands of college students.

My thoughts were dismissed when the front door slammed open, making the whole room rumble. The Joker hopped inside, heavily breathing, giggling in-between gasps. He noticed us sitting on the couch, and bound toward it. Springing in-between Jonathan and I, he wrapped his arms around both of our shoulders, and diverted his attention to the television.

"So... Did I miss it?" He giddily asked.

"Jeopardy, or the poorly filmed treat to put an end to one of Gotham's finest education system? Because Jeopardy ended almost fifteen minutes ago." I laugh. Man I crack myself up sometimes.

I probably should have keep my trap shut though. He grabbed my chin, pulling our faces together, our noses nearly touching. "You know Jill... If you don't have anything nice to say... Don't say it at all." He let go of me, turning to Jonathan. "Has the video gone up yet?"

"Yes boss. About ten minutes ago." He let him know.

The Joker gave out a loud, disappointing groan. "Darn. And I was hoping to see my oh so be-au-ti-ful face." He batted his eyelashes at me, he pulled his arm that was around me to his face, dragging my neck with it. My head was in an awkward position as he checked his watch. "Okay, we gotta go. Nearly forty five minutes to Showtime!"

"What do you mean, we?" I shoved his arm away from me.

"I mean... You, me, Jonathan if he's up for it." I hoped he didn't mean what he was saying. "Now Jill... What kind of friend would I be if I didn't show you what I did for a living?" He flipped the TV off, grabbing my arm and pulling me up with him. "C'mon, let's go. Times a waisting!"

He forced me out the door, Jonathan following swiftly behind us. We strolled down the walkway, heading for a black Camaro with a purple racing stripe along the side. He definitely had a good eye for style. But if he didn't want to says out to the police, why a Camaro? Purple is his signature color. Doesn't he know they'd spot him coming head on?

The Joker tossed me in the back seat before climbing in himself. Jonathan hopped in the driver's seat while the Joker tossed him a map. "Drive."

I hastily buckled my seat beat, mere racked about what was going to happen once we reached our destination. I noticed he didn't bother putting on his seat belt. He obviously didn't care about his safety, we could crash and he would get thrown out the window, and he wouldn't even care.

I began tapping my foot nervously, which caught the Joker's attention. "You look nervous. Is it the possibility that in a couple of hours hundreds of kids will be blown to smithereens?"

My foot stopped tapping, and I stared down at my shoes, not wanting to get sucked into his brown orbs. "No, not at all." Which was true. I knew I has saved their lives when I called 911, so I wasn't worrying about it. "I just don't see what you're trying to prove to Gotham."

"I'm not trying to prove... Anything." He scooted over to the seat next to me. "I'm just trying to have a little fun is all. I haven't gotten a chance since I got put in Arkham..."

"But why kids? They are innocent and haven't done anything to deserve it." I pushed myself away from him, my back hitting the window in an uncomfortable position.

He pulled a switchblade out of his pocket, digging it into the seat. "You know princess, people who try to pry into my mind usually end up with a knife in their back. So... I suggest you just sit back, and relax." He jerked the blade out of the seat, brushing his greasy hair back with it. "But...if you're really interested... The way, just one person, can cause so much pandemonium... It's all so chaotic, and exhilarating."

"Of course. People' loss and suffering gives you the greatest pleasure." I turned to the window, watching the bystanders' gaze follow the car. "Certifiable whack job. I muttered under my breath, but he heard it.

"Jill... For the last time, I'm not crazy. I'm just ahead of the curve."

I chuckle out loud, thinking of how in our situation right now, he really wasn't ahead of the curve. I was. He wasn't going to get his thrill because I took it from him. The thought excited me. "Well, we shouldn't keep you from what you love most in the world. Jonathan, speed up." I wanted to get there faster, so I could have a laugh at his face when he wouldn't get what he wanted.

He was surprised at my demand, but his mouth slowly spread into a devilish grin. "I like the way you're thinking Jill!"

And with that, Jonathan began picking up speed. We reached our destination soon after, heading behind a small warehouse. There weren't any cop cars around, which didn't look right.

The Joker crept out of the car, pulling me behind him, his hand firmly wrapped around my wrist. Jonathan climbed out after, and we all piled into the building. The entire building was trashed, with wooden boxes thrown across the floor, and graffiti etched on the walls. Many of the Joker's men stood around, each holding their weapons, wearing either a clown or a ski mask.

I couldn't help but overhear two henchmen talking as the Joker pushed me up a metal staircase, his hand pressed to my back.

"Why did the boss bring the girl here?" One clown masked one asked. "I don't know. But she better not mess up our plans." Another one in a ski mask replied.

The Joker didn't hear, leading me to a bolted door. "Jonathan?" He called, handing him a revolver. "Stay here and watch my men. If anyone steps out of line... Or if you just get bored... Don't hesitate to use it."

Jonathan smiled and descended down the stairs. "You got it boss."

He turned back around to me, holding the door open. I calmly walked through, him rushing up behind me. The door gave a loud slam when it closed, startling me. A spiral staircase stood in front of us, and he thrust me to it. I climbed up without hesitation.

We made our way to the end of it, coming across another door. He kept his hand on my back as he pulled out a pair of keys, sliding them into the lock. He pulled it open, and a blinding light hit my face. He darted outside, pulling me out with him.

We stood at the rooftop, overlooking a central area of Gotham. "Ta da!" He sprung out, laughing chaotically. "We're gonna have a lot of fun Jill!"

As I peered out over the edge, I could see downtown Gotham. There were an array of buildings, ranging in size and shape. I could just make out Gotham University in the background, red and blue lights filling the atmosphere.

I glanced down , gasping from how high up we were. If there's one thing I'm scared of as much as blood, it's heights. I step away, an icy wind pushing me back. I was only in my black tank top and some shorts, so the wind gave me a chill, goose bumps rising on my skin. I crossed my arms, trying to radiate some heat.

The Joker checked his watch. "Hm... Twenty minutes." He glanced back at me, shivering profusely from the oncoming winds. "Cold?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm fine." He gave me a look as if to say "yeah right". He tugged on the sleeves of his coat, slipping out of it. "Here." He handed it to me.

I was too cold to refuse, so I gently shoved my arms through the sleeves. I was immediately warmed. I looked at him, left in a gray blazer, and noticed just how big his purple coat really was. The ends met below my knees, and the arms came down past my hands.

"Hm... " He muttered. "This look really suits you. I'm liking it."

I gave a dry laugh, wrapping it completely around my body.

We stood there in an awkward silence for awhile until the Joker took another look at his watch. "Looks like it's eleven thirty. Still gotta wait."

"What do you mean wait?" I nearly shouted. "It's eleven thirty. This is the time you said you would blow up the school."

"I can't very well do that though... Since I don't have the detonator." He staggered toward me.

What did he mean he didn't have it? "Of course you do."

"No, I don't." He slammed his fists into his pockets. "You do." Deja vu swam over me, remembering the video of us he played earlier, him making my card disappear. "Check your pockets."

I had almost forgotten I was wearing his jacket. Of course the detonator was in the pockets. I reached in, pulling out the green square. He snatched it out of my hands, fiddling with it a bit before dropping it to his side.

When nothing happened, I walked up to his side. "What are you doing? You're just prolonging the inevitable."

"Hm... So eager for me to press the button, possibly ending hundreds of lives." He giggled.

I wasn't eager for that, I just wanted to see his reaction when he didn't have a chance to kill them. "No, I just think you should get it over with already."

"You're acting... You know something that I don't" I opened my mouth to explain, but he cut me off. "You know what... I don't think I want to press this button anymore. Chaos has already ensued enough... And just how comical would it be watching them cringe, as they wait for an explosion that will never come!"

No, it wasn't suppose to be like this. He was suppose to get crushed, not crush everyone around him. "Wait, no! This isn't what your plan was going to be!" Now I sounded crazy.

"Do I really look like a guy with a plan?" He asked, heading for the door.

I threw myself infront if him, and without thinking, I stole the detonator from his purple gloves. I rushed over to the edge of the rooftop, and slammed my hand down over the button. "Now, watch."

I waited for Gotham University to explode, but it never did. A loud popping sound echoed throughout the air, and flames engulfed a building, smoke and ashes filling the air. It wasn't Gotham University though. I dropped the small device to the ground.

What had I just done?

**SexyJokerLovers:**** Ouch! Jesus Christ Jill! What did you do? Yupp so This was fun and I enjoyed it the most especially the flash back! I have the entire story plotted out guys... I just need to write it! I promise I'll bring in a more diverse array of word choices, cause mine kinda suck! Oh, and I'll go back and edit the previous chapters because I have a lot of spelling and grammar mistakes. My bad! **

**So... I have a challenge for you guys. Let's see if we can't get either 25 followers or 25 reviews by the next chapter! I might update sooner! *wink* *wink*  
**


	7. I've Got Him Back

**SexyJokerLovers:**** So guys! A new chapter! Sorry it's taken me so long to upload. I've just been so busy lately. But I'll try to stick to a better schedule. And, here. We. Go.**

The debris and black smoke engulfed the skies. Police Commissioner Jim Gordon sprung from his car, observing the flames. The force had gotten a call from Batman that the Joker had chosen Cypress Middle School as his target. There had been another tip from someone anonymous, but Gordon knew Batman's was the one to go with. They evacuated the Middle school, patiently anticipating the explosion. It came late though, which was off in Gordon's eyes because the Joker always stuck to his schedule.

"Okay, I want head checks for all the students and the staff, then I want those flames extinguished!" Gordon exclaimed, and everyone raced every, trying to find some thing to help with. "We have to make sure every once of the explosives are out of the other schools. Ramirez..."

She sprang up behind him, brushing the rubble from her jacket. "Yes Commissioner?"

He pulled his glasses off, gently rubbing the exhaustion from his eyes. "Get the bomb squads to each school. Be careful. Ramirez, I'm trusting you."

"Yes sir." She grabbed her phone from the inside of her coat, hastily slamming her fingers down onto the buttons, dialing 911. Ramirez trotted off in the other direction as Gordon embraced the flying debris. He silently watched as the fire trucks exterminated the remaining flames. The joker had gone to far this time. He threatened the lives of innocent children. He had to put him away for good this time.

"Commissioner, someone's calling for you." A cop called out from behind, handing Gordon the phone.

"Hello?" He tucked the phone under his ear.

"Good morning... Com-mis-sion-er."

I froze in place at the edge of the rooftop, the fire blazing before me. My eyes turned to where the building exploded. It was not Gotham University like I had previously thought. I couldn't tell what it was, but I knew one thing. I had done it. Me, not him. He was going to leave it be. But the clueless me wanted to see him get burned. It turned out he really didn't like to dwell on the past. He didn't have a plan, and as much as I didn't want to believe it, he really was as chaotic as everyone assumes him to be.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha, he, he, ha." He slowly poked his way through my thoughts. "Look at you go. Honestly, I didn't think you had it in you."

The detonator slipped from my grasp, collapsing to the ground. "I... No..." I just couldn't believe I had gotten it wrong. "I thought..."

"You thought... what?" I didn't turn to him as his footsteps grew louder towards me. "What _was _going on it that pretty little head of yours?"

I stuttered my words, trying to comprehend the situation. I had blown up which ever school it was. A hundred or so kids would be dead, because of me. I was a criminal. Even though I knew deep down that I wasn't a maniac like him, in that moment I had stooped down to his level. "I... I... Didn't think it would be..."

"You didn't think it would be Cypress Middle School?" He staggered towards the door, unlatching it. "What did you think it was going to be? You... Obviously had a reason for wanting it blown up. Which was what, Jill?"

"Nothing. You just should have done it and gotten out while you were ahead." I wasn't going to tell him the real reason. It might have just set him off enough to be the end of me. "What you had said earlier about causing more pandemonium if you didn't blow it up... I didn't want that to happen. You had caused enough, Joker."

The door shut tightly, so I assumed he left. I spun around, only to find him still standing there hunch over, his green locks flowing in the wind. "So, you blew up a school to cause less chaos, instead of leaving it untouched... Everyone going back to their regular, pathetic lives?" He burst out in his hysterical laughter. "You sound as crazy as I am! Maybe you've been spending to much time with me, doll face."

I did sound crazy, but it wasn't my real answer. I knew I wasn't crazy. But blowing up a school, even though I had my reasons, was still a criminal act. I'd committed a crime. I was technically a felon. No one could ever find out though. I would be send to the nuthouse if the cops found out it was me.

"Look... Joker..." Tears swelled in my eyes, but he cut me off before I could finish.

"You know what... I'd prefer it if you called me Mr. J." I gave him a disapproving look, as if to say _Hell no! _There was no way I was going to call him that. "Okay fine... Just J then? Can you handle that, princess?"

"Okay, whatever. Look... J. What just happened... I mean..." I couldn't fathom the words to explain it. "If you really want to be a friend right now, you have to promise me... Promise me that you wont say anything about what has happened just now. My career, my family, my entire life, would end as we know it."

I brushed both of my hands across my eyes, clearing my soaked vision. My hands rested along the sides of my cheeks, and I peered at the ground, not wanting to meet his gaze. I fought as hard as I could to stop the tears from flowing, but they fell anyways.

He didn't say anything, or do anything. He just stood there, his arms crossed over his chest. I slumped to the ground, my face buried in my hands, quietly sobbing for what seemed like hours. When he finally made a notion, my eyes darted at him, patiently watching as he held out a phone to, silently licking his lips as he dialed a number. I had no clue what he was thinking, or what was going to happen next.

The Joker held the phone up to his ear, startling me when he spoke. "Good morning... Commissioner." What was he doing calling the Commissioner? "I hoped you enjoyed my array of fireworks. But... Aren't you glad I had the common courtesy to fill you guys in on which school it was going to be?"

He paused, listening to the other end of the line, and I stood up, clearing my flushed face. He had told them which one it was going to be? What was the logic in that? He mad no sense. But it made me feel like a burden had been lifted off of my chest, hearing that no one had lost their lives because of me.

"Oh Gordon, what would be the fun in listening to the deaths of Gotham's most innocent? Now... you must know... I'm not that cruel." He giggled, sending a weird feeling to the pit of my stomach. "Okay, I'll talk to you real soon there, Commissioner." He hung up the phone, tossing it over the edge of the roof. He scrambled towards me, grabbing my wrists. He roughly shoved me back into the warehouse, colliding with every wall and step we took. We finally stopped we he thrust me into Jonathan's arms, shouting orders at his men. "Okay boys... It's Showtime!" He turned back to Jonathan and I, handing Jonathan the cars keys. "Take the lady back to my place. See that she's taken care of. She seems a bit... distressed."

What was he going to do now? I didn't hesitate as Jonathan pulled me outside, because well, to put it frankly, I was damn straight not going to want to watch him "work" anymore. But my curiosity got the best of me. "What are you going to do?"

He smiled gingerly at me, his Glasgow smile giving me the chills just a bit. "So concerned for the well being of your friend. I would tell you, but then I'd have to kill you." He chuckled, making every henchman in the room jump. He pulled out his watch, checking the time. "Uh-oh. you better get going. Won't want them finding you here now, would we?"

What was he talking about? He still wasn't making any sense to me. "Who would find me? Just tell me something, please!"

"Oh my little buddy. The cops will be here any minute. And I don't think you want to have to explain to them why you're here, and what you're doing with the likes of a guy like me." He flashed his grin again, and Jonathan repeatedly pulled me out of the door.

I stopped him, calling back after the Joker. "You're going to do what? Give yourself up?"

"Bingo!" He exclaimed, hopping in the air like a three year old toddler.

"You wan them to find you? Why? I thought the whole point of being a criminal was to not get caught!"

"My dear, you've got it all wrong." He strolled to me, cupping my chin. "The whole point of being a criminal... Is to send a message. And what I'm about to do... Will show them who's boss!" He broke into a hysterical fit of laughter as I allowed Jonathan to pull me the rest of the way outside.

We entered to Camaro, and my gaze wondered about the building as Jonathan drove off. I watched intensely as squad cars surrounded the warehouse, the SWAT teams advancing inside. We drove a good distance, but not far enough, because I could still see that tall, purple figure being dragged out of the warehouse.

I still didn't comprehend what was going on it that lost mind of his. What message was he trying to convey be being locked up in a holding cell? The last time he was down at the MCU, he blew up half the building, killing almost everyone in it. He escaped, and then resumed his reign of terror. What on earth could he possibly be doing now?

I didn't want to try to pry into his mind anymore, it was giving me a headache. That and all the crying I had been doing. I just sat in my seat, holding onto my knees for dear life. I closed my eyes, resting my head against the back of the seat. I wish I could have taken another nap, or eaten, because my stomach began to growl louder and louder as we approached the house.

Jonathan jumped out first, and I followed swiftly after. There was an itch that began deep within the confines of my cast, and it irritated me that I couldn't scratch it.

Jonathan unlocked the door, and we both made our way inside. It was pitch black until the lights flickered on, and we both stood in silence. The hunger gnawed at my stomach, so much that it started to hurt.

Jonathan was the first one to speak. "So, boss said you'll more than likely be hungry. He says to fix yourself something from the fridge."

"Thanks." Was all I said as I leaped into the kitchen, quickly locating the fridge. I pulled the door open, overlooking the array of morsels. There wasn't much there, but one thing in the back did catch my eye. It looked to be a small slice of pineapple pizza, and a small blue note sat on top of it. _Save for Jill. Anyone touches, and you die.- J._ I cracked a grin, giggling slightly.

I took the freezing cold slice out, and quickly located a small microwave. I popped the pizza in for about forty-five seconds, and when it was finished, I devoured it in almost two bites. I was still hungry, but it settle my stomach's cravings for now. I then found a glass that looked moderately clean, and filled it with water. I gulped it down, and set the glass down into the sink, which was full of rotten dishes. Of course no one cleaned up around here, the only people living in the house were all guys. Some part of me wondered if Harley Quinn cleaned up at all around here. If she did, I almost wished she was here to do it now.

I stumbled back into the living room, but there was no sign of Jonathan. That was okay though, because I wanted to be alone for awhile anyway. I crawled up the steps to the room I had been sleeping in as of late, and looked at my reflection. I was startled when I saw a big, purple coat wrapped tightly around me. I had completely forgotten I was still wearing it. Hope The Joker didn't need it anytime soon.

I didn't even want to think about him right now. all I was thinking about was the nice hot shower I desperately needed.

I pulled out a fresh pair of clothes from the dresser, and headed down the hall to where I remembered the bathroom being. I stepped inside and locked the door, tugging away at my clothes. I turned on the hot water, letting it fill the tub. I placed my clothes on the side of the sink, pulling my hair into a bun as I stepped inside to boiling water.

I was simmering, but the touch was soothing. I couldn't find anything to put over my cast, so I was extra careful not to get any water on it.

I heard nothing from the entire house, so I guessed no one had come back yet. How long was the Joker planning to stay with the police? How was he going to make his escape? No, I shouldn't think about him. he would get back one way or another. After all, he is the Joker for crying out loud.

I sat in the tub for about an hour and a half, massaging my shoulders and my arms. I got out and got dressed, pulling on a yellow t-shirt that had a black smiley face, with the slogan _Shit Happens_ written underneath it. I pulled on a pair of skinny jeans, and collected my things. I came back into my room, tossing the used clothing on a chair in the corner of the room.

I picked through my boxes, looking for my hair brush. I found it, but something seemed different about the boxes. I was missing one. And I knew exactly which one. It was the one labeled "Jack". He must have taken it some where, and hid it from me. I looked all around the room, but I didn't find it any where. I would just have to ask about it when he got back. If he got back. No, he was coming back. I didn't know when, but he was going to. Otherwise there was no way I'd be able to get to New York. He had my phone and my car keys.

I thoroughly brushed my soaked brown hair back, setting the brush down on the dresser. I looked up at the mirror, noticing the chain dangling so perfectly around my neck. The heart that was split down the middle still clung to my chest. I wanted to take it off, but it was the last thing Jack had given me. Even if he was far gone when he had given it to me, I just couldn't part with it. That's why I kept it in my box all these years. That's why I couldn't take it off now. It was my last connection to who he used to be.

No, I shouldn't think about it. He wasn't coming back. He would never be the same. Jack had succumb to the Joker, and was too far gone. I could feel parts of him trying to find his way back out, but the Jack side of him was always overpowered. I just wish there was a way I could find a way to make amends with him, to make the air around us less awkward. I knew I wasn't getting out of here for a whole week, and I pleaded with myself that I wouldn't just be a rotten puss the whole time. I knew he wouldn't like it at all, and I wouldn't either. As long as I was here, I might as well make the most of it. If I wanted the rest of my time here to flow smoothly, I would have to basically friend him all over again.

From what I was guessing, it was between one thirty and two o'clock. I didn't really know what to do since he was gone. My room didn't have much to it, so I decided to investigate the rest of the house. I've only seen my room, the living room, and the bathroom, and this house was huge. It was practically a mansion.

I made my way through a long hallway, stumbling upon many rooms, which were completely trashed and heavily smelled of alcohol. I assumed his men must inhabit those rooms. I investigated the rest of the house, finding Jonathan in one room, passed out on a small bed. His room was clean. Go figure.

I decided to go downstairs, examining the rest of the bottom floor. Besides the living room and the kitchen, the only other thing was a door to a small grass lawn in the back. Three rottweilers stood at the end of the yard, quietly wrestling over a small plush toy.

I slid the sliding glass doors open, and all three of their ears perked up. I heard one growl, and by the looks of the dog, it was probably the leader of the pack. I sat down at the opposite of the lawn. I was sure not to get to close to them, because they might have gotten violent. I slowly inched closer every couple of minutes, until I was close to touching them. The one didn't growl at me anymore, but instead it came up to me, rubbing its head against my palm as I held it out to it. I found out that the one I was petting was a girl, and the other two were boys.

The other two came up to me once the girl gave them the okay, and I rubbed their heads, them licking my face as I did it. "You guys are too cute." I remarked. "What are three nice dogs like you, doing with a big, bad, mean old Joker anyway?"

They all ran off in the other direction when a squirrel ran up a tree, and I made my way back into the house. There still weren't any sounds from any body. So, I parked myself on the couch, flipping the T.V. on. There wasn't anything good on, so I ascended the stairs, heading back into my room. I rummaged throughout my piled up boxes, trying to locate my writing journal. I found it finally after an agonizing twenty minutes, and headed back down to the living room.

Four days went by, me and Jonathan the only inhabitants of the house. We got into a basic routine of the days, him sleeping and eating, me watching T.V. and writing in my journal.

That was until the morning of the fifth day, and I had heard voices from my room. They sounded muffled, and I couldn't tell who it was. Jonathan heard them too, and both of us descended the stairs together. We came across five or six guys clown masks, I really can't remember how many there were, huddled in the main part of the living room. They were crammed together, and hustled around, as if to figure something out.

Their attention immediately turned to us as we came close to them. I kept my distance, following behind Jonathan. These guys were major criminals, and Jonathan was the only one I trusted.

"Hey guys, where's the boss?" Jonathan casually asked, as if the Joker's disappearance wasn't unusual.

"Still stuck at the MCU, no thanks to that bitch over there." One guy in a Dopey mask turned to me. I gaped my mouth open. How was it my fault? "You heard me babe." He came towards me, and I instantly stepped back. "If you haven't been distracting his mind as of late, we might have been able to carry out his actual plans."

Jonathan stepped between us, trying to avoid confrontation. "Hey man, it ain't her fault. She didn't do nothing."

"Yes she did. She's the one who blew up the school. That wasn't suppose to happen." He pulled his mask off, and revealed himself to be a guy in his late twenties. He might have been attractive without the whole threatening demise. "She's the reason the boss ain't back yet. We tried getting him out, but half of us got killed in the process."

I couldn't think of anything to say. But I knew what they were saying wasn't true. None of this was my fault. Well, except for the whole school blowing up accident. That was all on me.

I could see the clowns in the back clenching their weapons, and my heart began to speed up. I really didn't like the look of this. I couldn't see through there masks, but I could hear their seethes of anger. Oh God, please don't let them….

My pleads were cut off when four of the guys jumped on Jonathan, bring him to the ground. The other two advanced on me, one of them being them guy who took his mask off. They both pinned me against the wall with such force that I swore I could feel my insides caving in. I watched helplessly as the other four guys tied up Jonathan, shoving him into another room.

"C'mon guys!" I was no alone with six guys, their sex deprived bodies brushing against mine. "Let's go have a little fun!"

I was scared to death. More scared than the Joker could ever make me. Two pulled me outside to the back yard, one held my mouth shut so I couldn't scream, and the other ones just laughed as I was dragged across the floor.

I attempted to bite the guys hand, but he only held his hand tighter, as another guy slapped me across the face. I cloud see out of the corners of my eyes that one guy had found a rope, and one was holding out a piece of duct tape to me. He rammed in onto my mouth, and I muffled a small squeal.

I closed my eyes as I felt one guy wrap the rope around my arms, and then hung them to a branch of the tree. I could hear the dogs howling in the background, but they only ran away when a couple of the guys kicked them away.

"Now, I don't know about you boys," The man without the mask started. "But I'm feeling lucky tonight. What about ya'll?" They all grunted, showing their enthusiasm. I however was less than thrilled. I was terrified. I knew it wasn't going to be pretty, but I couldn't do anything about it. "But first….. There something I want to show our little captive."

He pulled his arm back, before slamming it square in my stomach, barely missing my stitches. I was flung back, feeling like my stomach was launched into my throat. They each took turns doing something to me, whether it was punching me, or cutting deep gashes into my limbs with a knife.

I wanted to cry, but the tears never came. Blood trickled down my arms and legs, and I was exhausted. I was barely holding on. My eyes closed. I couldn't watch the rest. I knew the end was coming soon.

"Oh, she looks like she doesn't like that, boys. What do ya know!" The man said, lifting my chin up to look him in the eyes. But I wouldn't open them. "Any last words before we get it on, sweet cheeks?"

I breathed in heavily, mumbling words through the duct tape.

"What was that? Here, let me help you with that."

He ripped the slab of tape from my mouth, and the burning sensation soon followed. "The Joker's…. going to want to know…. What happened to me…."

"Oh, the big guy's not getting out for a while now. We'll just hide your body…." He dropped my head after replacing the tape. "And then we'll just say you ran off. He'll never know."

He laughed maniacally, even crazier than the Joker's, and it scared me to the point that I almost peed my pants. I looked down helplessly as the rest of the guys crammed around me. One heavyset guy cut through the rest, tugging out my shirt until he completely ripped it off. I was reduced to my neon green bra. I could see bruises starting to form along my chest and my stomach.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." The main guy pushed him out of the way. "Calm down, Jon. We'll get to you eventually."

Tears then formed at the edges of my eyes, and he began to rub his hands along my hips, bring them up slowly to my chest. He leaned over, his lips tracing my neck. I cringed as he tugged at my jeans.

The next moments happened in an instant, that to this day I still don't fully remember what happened.

I remembered closing my eyes as he tried to undo my jeans, but he suddenly stopped. I could hear screams and cries from around me, from the men. I stole a quick glance, seeing him standing there, a bloody knife in hand. The Joker stood over their bodies, huffing for breath. I was ecstatic on the inside, even though on the outside I could barely keep my eyes open. They were heavy, and I struggled to pry them open.

He moved swiftly towards me, untying my restraint from the tree. I fell into his arms, and he carefully removed the duct tape from my mouth. He plucked me up off of the ground, and transported me back inside. I watched in disgust at the dead men on the ground, each lying in a pool of their own blood. I almost puked all over myself.

"J…." I tried to speak, but my voice caught in my throat.

"Sh, sh, sh, sh." His voice soothed me. "It's okay. You're gonna be alright."

"J…. I didn't mean to." I flung my eyes open, looking dead into his concerned brown eyes. "They said… They said it was my fault. You don't know what they did."

"Jill…. It's okay. You're fine. Deep breaths." He made me feel immensely better. This had been the second time he had saved my life. I knew in that instant that I could trust him again. Nothing else was going to happen to me on his watch.

He brought me up into my room, setting me down softly onto the bed. He left for a second, but I saw he returned quickly with a needle and thread. "I'm going to make this as quick and painless as possible."

He was going to stitch up my many cuts, and it was going to hurt a lot. But I was okay with it. As long as he was there to protect me, I was fine with whatever he did.

It took from what I could guess was twenty minutes of intense stitching and immense pain, but he finally finished. I opened my eyes to see him, sweat dripping from his forehead. Some of his make up began to smear.

My tears emerged again, but I quickly wiped them away. "Thank you." I sat up, wrapping my arms around him. He returned the hug, and I cried into his shoulder.

"Sh, sh, sh, sh." The Joker quieted me. He re situated our bodies on the bed, him continuing to hold me. Tears stained his hexagonal shirt, and I continued to cry into it, not wanting him to ever let me go. For the first time in years, I felt like I had my best friend back.

**SexyJokerLovers: Aw! They gonna be friends again! Well, hopefully. I mean, somethings just don't change between them. I can't wait to get the rest of this story written guys, it's going to be amazing! I hope you enjoyed, and don't forget to review! Little button right below this text.  
**


	8. Matching Scars

**SexyJokerLovers:  WWWOOOOOOHHOOOOOOOOO! New chapter! Guys I'm so tired! I hoped you enjoy it (the readers I have left).**

I woke up later that day with a splitting headache. My cuts still bled, even with the whack-job stitching the Joker did. My right eye was completely swollen shut, with a giant bruise written across it that matched the rest of my purple and green body.

I was so sore that I could barely move. How wonderful it's going to be to have to explain this to the people down at the New York Times. I don't even know what I would say: I was kidnapped by the Joker and his men tried to kill me, but it's okay, because he killed them. Or at least I think he did. I really couldn't tell. They might have just been badly wounded.

And then another thought came across my mind: Jonathan. Was he still in the locked room? Did the Joker find him, only to then kill him because of what happened? I wanted to get up to go see, but my body refused, filling with stabbing pains, as if his men were still slicing me up.

As I sat up, I felt a large pop/cracking noise in my chest. It was unlike any other pain I had experienced before. It inflamed my chest, and for a while I found it hard to breath.

I laid back down, trying to catch my breath. I didn't know what had just happened, but I didn't like the sound of it, and I knew it wasn't good.

My uneasy feeling decreased, and I sat back up slowly, noticing I was still in my green bra. I had been in too much pain earlier to even think about putting a shirt on. And I had let the Joker comfort me in it. But honestly, I didn't really care. Me worrying about him seeing me in my bra was the least of my troubles.

I managed to get off of the bed and over to the dresser, even with the searing pain. I slowly but surely got a black t-shirt on, climbing back into bed.

It wasn't long before I heard a knock at the door. "You awake?"

"Yes…" I groaned. I turned my head, watching curiously as Jonathan strolled into the room. He was carrying a bowl of soup, and upon seeing it, it looked to be chicken noodle soup. He handed it out to me. "Boss said you looked like you needed this."

I took the soup from him, the aroma tingling my senses. "Thank you. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just a bit banged up. But nothing I can't handle." He made his way back to the door, but turned back around to me. "What about you?"

I looked down at my cuts, gently rubbing one by my elbow. "Yeah, I'll be okay. How is… he?" He referring to the Joker.

"Oh. Well…. He's not very happy. Not that he's ever very happy. It's just something happened, and now he could blow at any moment."

"What happened?" I asked, not sure about what he would have to be mad about. It's not like he was the one who almost got killed.

"I don't know. And I wouldn't go asking."

Wow. Whatever it was it must have interfered with one of his plans. Some pat of me hoped he would be okay, but then another part was wanting him to just suck it up because he shouldn't have been doing whatever he was doing in the first place.

Jonathan walked out of the room, shutting the door tightly. I cupped the soup in my hands, slowly scooping the soup into my mouth with the spoon. The chicken broth warmed my irritated throat, and I started feeling a little bit better. My head still pounded, and I quickly finished the soup.

When I finished, I set the bowl down on the floor, and slid back down under the covers. My eyes had just barely closed when the door crashed open. The lights flipped on, and my eyes took awhile to adjust. I watched as the Joker rushed into the room, scrounging around for something. He traced through the room, tossing things along the floor as he searched.

"What's going on?" I asked, but no response. I spoke again, but in a harsher tone. "What's going on?"

"Sh!" He spat in my direction, making me flinch. "Where is it? Where is it?"

"Where is what? What are you doing?" He silenced me when he pulled out a gun, aiming it at the wall next to me, firing a shot.

My heart started racing at a hundred beats a second, and he stormed back out of the room. Without thinking, I ran (well attempted to), out after him. He was becoming eccentric, shouting at no one rummaging through room after room, hysterically trying to find the thing that he was searching for.

He stopped suddenly when he pulled out a drawer from another room. His back was facing me, and I couldn't see what he had found. He quit his crazed antics, so I knew he had found what he was looking for.

He secretly tucked whatever it was into his pocket, and turned back to face me. "Hi."

"Um… hi." I took a step backwards, afraid he might take another shot at me. "What was that all about?"

"I, uh…. Lost my knife."

"Your knife?" I laughed. Was that what Jonathan said he was upset about?

"Yeah." He situated his vest, before grabbing my wrist, pulling me towards him. I slammed into him, and his free hand flew to my face. He cupped my chin in his gloved hand, tilting it side to side as he investigated my bruises and gashes.

"Hm…. " He let go and carefully stroked the cuts on my arms. "I'm starting to think that bringing you here…. Wasn't a very good idea."

"And what on earth would make you think that?" I questioned sarcastically.

"Well…. It couldn't be the fact that everyone here wants to kill you, or wants you to leave. But hey…. That's okay." His tongue darted to the sides of his mouth. "Because I've learned a valuable lesson."

"Oh yes, and what's that?" I smiled.

"Never hire employees that might have mental issues." He chuckled, letting my arm fall to my side. "On a scale of one to ten, how is the pain?"

Well, I ached all over, but it wasn't that bad anymore. "About a 4.5, I guess."

He reached into his pocket, tossing me a bottle of Aleve. I popped two in my mouth, and handed it back to him. "Thanks. For saving me… again."

"That's two you owe me." He laughed.

I looked over at him, noticing the blood stain on his sleeve. My eyes widened. "What happened?" I asked, getting a solid grip on his arm.

"Nothing. It's nothing." He tried yanking his arm away, but I wouldn't let him.

"Don't tell me it's nothing. Your bleeding all over." I felt slightly nauseous, but it soon passed. "I'm cleaning this up." Before he could protest, I ran down to the bathroom and pulled a small blue washcloth from out of the cabinet. I held it under the sink, letting the water trickle over it.

I poked my head out the door, seeing him standing in front of it, his arms crossed over his chest, with an annoyed smirk on his face. "Let's get this over with." He sighed, came in and sat down on the side of the counter. He then proceeded to unbutton his vest, dropping it on the floor. He took his tie and his hexagon shirt off, and I gaped at the sight. He was toned, unlike he's ever looked like before. His biceps were much bigger than before, and he had a six pack. When did he manage to get all that? He wasn't anything like the skinny kid back in school anymore.

"Wow. Someone has been hitting the gym. When did all this happen?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Oh, you mean these?" He flexed his muscles, and I let out of genuine laugh. "It comes with the job"

I applied the wet cloth to his upper arm. He winced, and repeatedly kicked his legs out in front of him like a four year old. I couldn't help but laugh.

"How did this happen?" I asked, hoping he would maybe tell me.

He sighed again. "Why so curious?"

"I was just wondering, that's all."

"If you must know…. One of the guys pulled a knife out on me." He cackled. "Ah, the stupidity of some people just amazes me sometimes."

For once, I actually agreed with him. It was a stupid move to try and get him with a knife. He's the Joker for crying out loud. The most dangerous criminal in the history of criminals. There was no way the guy would win.

I removed the washcloth from his arm, and gawked at the deep gash. I could feel a baby barf coming up, but I held it down. I placed the cloth back to the cut, not able to look at it anymore. I glanced at the back of his shoulder, noticing his tattoo. My name permanently stamped onto him.

I then took a look at the rest of his shirtless physique, in shock at what I was looking at. There were scars and bruises that ran all along his back, chest, and arms. "Jesus Christ." I accidentally gasped out loud.

"What-ah?" He enunciated.

"I was just looking at your scars." I stuttered. They were all over. He's been banged up way too much.

"Ooooooh. Do you still remember how I got them?" He smiled.

"Not those." I pointed to his mouth. "The ones along your back and arms. Did you stitch them up yourself?"

"If I could reach them yes. If I couldn't, I usually let Jonathan do it." He began sucking on the inside of his scars. I kind of felt bad for him. I really didn't like seeing him hurt, but there was nothing I could do to stop it. I couldn't change him. As long as he was the Joker, there would always be something that would get him hurt.

I removed the blood soaked cloth, taking another look at his arm. I got used to the sight after awhile, and gently patted it with a dry cloth. The Joker reached into a drawer, and pulled out a needle and thread. I dropped the wet cloth into the sink, and washed my hands off. I watched as he hurriedly poked the needle through his skin, cringing as he did it. I pulled the toilet seat down and sat down on top of it, focused on his nimble hands as they pulled the needle in and out of his skin.

"Is this the only thing that can entertain you or something?" He questioned.

"No." I started. "But, I just want to make sure you're okay."

He stopped his stitching for a moment, looking dead in my eyes. "Ah…. I see what's going on." He resumed his work until he finished. "Somebody cares about wittle ole' me." He said in a sing song voice. "And that could only mean one thing." He took a long pause, and I started blushing. "You've decided to be my friend again!"

I held my hand over my face, almost embarrassed by what he was assuming. He was right though. I stilled cared about him, and I wanted to make amends. "Maybe. Just don't make it such a big deal."

"Oh joy! I knew you would come around eventually. I mean, you can't forget all of those…. Wonderful years Jill."

I frowned. It made me feel bad about myself because I had let him get to me so quickly. The Joker put the needle and thread away and looked back at me. "Aw, c'mon champ. Let's put a smile on that face." He hopped of the counter and hovered over me. "Looked, we're so close that we're going to have matching scars." He pointed to the stitching on my upper arm, almost in the exact same place as his.

"Oh hush, you." I jumped off of the seat, picking up his shirt. "Put some clothes on, will ya?"

He laughed his chaotic chortle, and I ducked out of the bathroom. I ran into my room and plopped down onto the bed. I looked through the door way and saw him standing there, his shirt and his vest back on, leaning against the frame with his hands in his pockets.

"What?" I asked.

"I'm just…. Thinking. I'll be just a little bit sad when you have to leave you know."

"Oh really." I pulled my hair up into a high ponytail. "And when exactly is my departure date?" I hadn't thought about it in a couple of days. I was suppose to be here for about a week. The first day was the whole Harley Quinn ordeal, and the second was the school thing. Then he was gone for five days. So that meant….

"Tomorrow." He said disappointingly, taking the words right out of my mouth. And I was sort of disappointed too. Yes I wanted so badly to start my new job and get out of Gotham, but now that I actually enjoyed his company, I hate to admit it, but some part of me was going to miss it.

"Oh." Was all I could think to say. But then more thoughts came to my mind.

"You know what I think?" He broke through my mind. I shook my head. "Follow me." He reached out and pulled me out the door. I didn't know what he was thinking, but I went along with him. He lead me out into a long hallway, before we descended a metal staircase. We proceeded into a dark room, and he turned the light on.

I could make out a couple of stuffed, life-size dummies at the end of the large room. They each had targets on their heads, torsos, arms, and legs. And one directly over their hearts.

"What are we…."

"Sh, sh, sh." He turned me around to the other wall, an array of guns of all shapes and sizes lining it from the floor to the ceiling. "Pick one."

"Why?"

"Because…. We're going to have target practice." He moved to the guns, pulling a large shotgun off of the wall. "New York is such a…. Dangerous place. I'm getting you prepared in case someone decides they want your purse or something."

"More dangerous than Gotham?" I laughed. 'I don't think they have clowns running around trying to blow up people."

"Hey!" He shouted in a grisly voice, pointing the gun at one of the dummies. He fired a shot, and I jumped back.

"Aw, c'mon." I grabbed the smallest gun I could find, a small bobcat model caliber pistol. "Why so serious?" I mocked him.

He gave a small grin, bringing his gun down to his side. "I'm guessing you don't know how to work this." He pointed to my gun, and I shook my head. "Okay, let's get this lesson started then."

I placed my hands firmly around it's fine edges, my finger barely touching the trigger. I held it out in front of me, as far as I could get it away from my body. "Now, you want to hold it directly at the level of your victim." I elbowed him in the gut. He grunted loudly in my ear. "So sorry. I meant object of obsession."

I could hear him sucking on his scars again, which made me feel uneasy. "Okay, now what?"

"Fire."

My finger embraced the trigger, pulling it all the way back. There was a small, "clink", but nothing else happened. The Joker's laughter pierced my ears, and he doubled over. "What?" I asked, confused.

He stood back up when he calmed himself down. "The safety latch is still on." It really wasn't that funny. He took the latched off, and I aimed the gun again. "Wait, here. Take this just in case." He held out a pair of yellow ear phones, and I placed them over my head.

I pulled the gun up, and took aim once more. I gracefully tugged at the trigger, and the bullet shot out through the room. A jolt from the gun shoved me back a little. I couldn't tell where the bullet went, so I went over to it. The Joker followed behind me, curious as well. What I saw amazed both of us. The bullet went straight through the heart.

"Wow. Isn't someone a heart breaker." He joked, brushing his natty hair back. "Nice shot for a rookie."

I resumed my position in front of the dummy, and he quickly scooted out of the way, over to the other dummy. He held his shotgun up, firing multiple rounds into the dummy. I once more aimed my gun, this time at the dummy's head. I fired three shots, and wiped away the beads of sweat that now populated my forehead.

I fired the rest of the shots, focusing on the target the entire time. I didn't even notice the Joker sitting on the ground, his hands on his knees, intently watching me. I lowered the gun and pulled the ear covers off, striding in his direction. "What?"

A wide grin plastered his face, and he shot up from the ground. "Nothing." He stood his shotgun back up on the wall, and exited the room. I sprinted and hung my gun up as well, following him out. "Tell me."

"Take a guess." He answered, leading the way back to the living room.

"C'mon, tell me. I want to know." I pestered him. "Please?"

"Nah….. Figure it out for yourself." He waltzed into the kitchen, and I continued to bug him. "You know what….. You're really getting on my nerves. If you don't stop, I'm going to have to take…. Extreme measures." He opened the fridge, and pulled out a can of whipped cream, setting it down on the counter.

"You wouldn't."

"Try me."

_Tell me. _I mouthed, daring him to do it. I glared at him as he pulled the can to his mouth, pressing the nozzle back, sending a ton of white cream into his scarred mouth. He smiled, the whipped cream completely blocking his teeth. "You give me no choice…." He laughed as he stuck the can in my face, letting the whipped cream fly every where. The cream sprayed me dead in the face, and I gasped out. My hands wiped the cream away from my eyes, gathering the remains in my palms. I quickly chucked the whipped cream onto him, giggling as I did it.

He looked at me amazed, because I dared to throw it back. His shocked expression quickly faded as he pulled the can back out, aiming it at me. Without thinking, I snatched it from him, now aiming it in his face. "Aha! The tables have turned, J."

"C'mon. I want you to do it." He dared me. I wasn't afraid to as I bent the nozzle back, sending the white foam flying into his face.

"You enjoy that." I laughed as he placed his hands on the counter, glaring at me. He lowered his head down, trying to intimidate me with a sadistic look. "If your trying to scare me, it's not working very well."

He held up a finger, telling me to wait a moment. I watched carefully as he leaned into the fridge again, this time pulling out a small brown bottle. I looked closely, noticing it was chocolate syrup.

He flipped open the lid, and before I could react, he squirted the chocolate right into my face. In return, I sprayed more whipped cream onto him. It was an ongoing battle of who could cover each other with the most of their toppings. We both moved around the house, slowly ducking behind corners and rooms, and then jumping out and pouncing on the other.

I began to run out of whipped cream, and I slumped onto the kitchen floor, covering my face as the Joker finished off the rest of the chocolate on me. He fell to the ground too, overcome with his ear shattering laughter. "Look at you. You look so…. Ri-di-cu-lous."

I clenched my stomach as I started gasping out between laughs. I was covered in chocolate syrup, my outfit completely ruined. But look at him. He was drowned in whipped cream. He looked just as ridiculous, or more, than I did. "Well, look at you!"

Our laughter filled the house, and when it began to die down, we just looked back at one another's face, and it started up again. When finally I couldn't get another chuckle out, I brought a clean part of my shirt up to my face, and smudged most of the chocolate off. He did the same, cleaning his hands with his face. I crawled over to him, turning over to my side, and dropped my body by his. He laid down next to me, both of us trying to catch our breaths.

"All we're missing is some ice cream, and a cherry." I giggled, looking up at him. "I don't think I've had this much fun since, high school. Remember, when we started that food fight in twelfth grade?"

He smiled widely. "Oh yeah. They almost didn't let me graduate. Who was that one teacher who got covered in milk and slipped every where when she was yelling at everyone?"

"Oh…. Um, Mrs. Rodgers?" Thinking back on her made me laugh. She was always a big, grotesque woman, who couldn't control her temper. At the drop of a hat she would explode, and that day, she was boiling. I swear I could see steam rising out of her ears. "Remember, she was about to hit someone that day? And when she found out you started it, she was going to expel you even though she didn't have the authority."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. If I remember correctly, you started that fiasco, young lady." He nudged my shoulder.

"Me?" I started. "I accidentally flicked a piece of lettuce onto your plate, and you're the one who decides to toss your spaghetti, and hit the guy behind me in the back."

"I was aiming for you." He brushed more whipped cream out of his hair. "My hand eye coordination was horrible compared to now."

"Oh yeah." I turned over on my stomach, placing my hands underneath the side of my face. "No, you had good coordination. You were always good in a fight. Now that I think about it, all the fights you got in…. I caused them."

He licked his lips, turning his head back to me. "You didn't cause it. You were just the primary factor." He placed both of his hands behind his head. "They had it coming. They weren't leaving you alone. And I didn't like it. Not. One. Bit."

"You should have just let me handle it." I closed my eyes. "I'm a tuff girl. I could have taken them all at once." We both chuckled. "But, I feel like I owe you something, now that I look back at what all you've done for me."

He turned his body to face me, and placed his head on his arm. "Okay. Just stay here in Gotham, and we'll call it equal. What do you say?" He held his hand out to me, wanting me to shake it. He pulled it back after a while of no movement from my part. "Oh well, worth a shot."

"Look, it'll be fine." I started. "We didn't talk for five years, it can't be that hard to stop for awhile. And besides, you'll be so busy terrorizing Gotham and the Batman that you'll forget all about little ole' me." I gave him a half- hearted smile. As much as I wish he could just take his paint and throw it away, never to use it again, end his life as a villain, I knew it could never happen. But I would make due with what I had, because in all honesty, I forgot how good it was to have a friend. No one has even come close since him, and I desperately needed that someone to talk to sometimes when I really needed to. "But hey, we can give each other updates through video chat, if you have a computer. Or you can call me. I promise I'll answer. And we could…."

He placed a hand over my mouth to stop my incessant babbling. "You know I'm not one to…. Express my feelings. But…. It just feels like another goodbye"

I sighed. "Don't think of it as a goodbye. Think of it as a…. See you later."

**SexyJokerLovers: **** I'm just so glad they are friend like again. I really don't think they can ever be the way they were, but they are trying. And... If y'all are questioning why the Joker is so... soft, let me elucidate for you. He is only breaking his Joker character when it comes to Jill. I mean, how would you act with your best friend? I know you've changed, but have your feelings? And he wants her to go back to being best friends with him. How would you go about doing it? Can you really blame a gal for trying? *sigh* Review!**


	9. What's Crane Got To Do With This?

**SexyJokerLovers:**** Hey guys! New chapter. I'm wondering how many readers I still have? I hope you like it.**

The next morning rose faster than the speed of light. I wanted to hold if off for as long as possible, but in the end it had to come. I was leaving today, and as much as I hate to admit it, I was going to miss him. Being away from him for so long, and now being thrown together, made me realize how alone I had really been for all those years. The first year I was just getting out of college, and needing a job, so I was in contact with almost everyone in Gotham. But the other four years, I stayed in solemn silence, distancing myself from the rest of the world.

Now that I had gotten used to the Joker being in my presence, talking with him again, I wished it would continue. I wished I didn't have to leave Gotham anymore. I wished I didn't have an amazing opportunity that was once in a lifetime.

I know I sounded crazy. In fact I questioned my sanity profusely. I was friends again with the most dangerous person in the entire city. I wasn't going to turn him in. Never have, never will. I made that promise a long time ago. I was just accepting the fact that he will kill people for amusement, and terrorize the city. Questionably, I was too accepting of it. Something inside of me changed in my time spent with him. I can't explain it, but I felt like we really could be friends again.

I woke up that morning from a more peaceful night sleep. I rubbed my eyes open, noticing a small note placed on the edge of the dresser. I walked over to it, glancing down at the yellow sticky note. Some of the hand writing was not legible, but I tried to make out as much as possible. _Meeting…. Bullets… leave at 9 o'clock. - J._

What I could make out of the note that the joker was in a meeting, they were doing something with bullets, and he was either leaving at nine, or he wanted me to leave at nine. I ruled the second one out though because I wouldn't be able to drive with the cast on my right hand.

Looking to the other side of the dresser, I could make out a small rectangular device. I reached for it, turning it around. It was my cell phone. I hadn't had it in about a week, and yet when I turned the screen on, I had almost a full battery.

I looked at the top right corner of the screen, seeing that it was almost eight o'clock. I hurriedly rushed into the bathroom, grabbing a pair of clothes and taking them with me. I hopped in for about fifteen minutes, getting whatever was left on my body from yesterdays toppings battle. I belted out to Lady Gaga the whole time, knowing I was the only one there.

When I was finished, I pulled on a long sleeve button up shirt, so my cuts wouldn't bee seen, and a pair of skinny jeans. There was no hiding my other wounds though. My black eye shown through, even with all the foundation caked on it. And my cast was well, big and purple.

I leapt back to the room, pulling out a brush and detangling my drenched brown hair before pulling it up into a high ponytail. I then started pulling my clothes out of the dresser, shoving them into a box. I quickly gathered anything else that I had in the room, tightly packing them away.

When I was finished, I lounged down on top of one of the larger boxes, silently fiddling with my phone. It turned out I had seventeen unread messages. I opened my inbox, all the texts send from a blocked number.

_Hahahahahahaha. _Is basically what each one of them said, but in different lengths. I wonder who it could be?

I was getting hungry, so I galloped down to the kitchen, hoping to find something edible to snack on. It was spotless, no traces of chocolate syrup or whipped cream any where. Lucky for me, there were some strawberry pop tarts on the counter, and I crammed two of them into my mouth. I pulled out my phone again, checking the time. I saw that it was eight thirty when the door erupted, and the Joker, Jonathan, and a couple of new guys climbed inside.

The Joker's eyes lit up as he glanced over at me, mouthful of food. Jonathan left the room, while the other four guys stood awkwardly in the doorway. Their presence gave me a disturbed feeling, considering the previous men wanted to have their way with me.

The Joker must have felt the harsh feeling in the room as well, and he called out to them. "Okay boys, you can either make yourselves at home, or go out and find something to blow up. But don't just stand there, looking stupid!"

And with that order, they were off. They marched up the stairs and around the corner, disappearing from my view.

"Idiots." The Joker's voice made me look back at him. He pulled out a small knife, twirling it between his fingers. He slammed it down into the counter, it sticking straight up into the wood. I jumped back at the notion, wondering why he looked so upset.

"You okay there, J?" I asked, pulling out another pop tart.

He drew near me, yanking the sugary treat from my grasp. He sat down on a small chair that nestled by the counter, driving the tart into his mouth. "Yeah. It's just…. Nah. You wouldn't be interested."

"Yes I would!" I exclaimed, wanting him to tell me. I mean, you just don't leave someone on the edge like that. "Spill."

He rubbed his chin with his gloved hand, licking his dry, cracked lips. "I feel like…. I'm losing my touch. There's been no sign of the Batman, and without the mouse, what does the cat have left to chase?" He plucked the knife out of the counter, admiring it's sharp edges. "Do you want to know…. Why I use a knife?"

"Not particularly. No." He was obviously disappointed, dropping the knife down, before thrusting it into his coat pocket. "Why hasn't the Batman come back yet? I mean, I know he killed Harvey Dent and those other people, but…."

His menacing cackle interrupted me, causing the entire house to go silent. It took what seemed like ages, but he finally calmed himself down. "Oh, you're real funny Jill. Do you honestly think the Batman would intentionally kill a person? Let alone six?"

I didn't know what to say next, so I watched him intently as I let him continue. "Dent…. Was Gotham's white knight. Then I sat him down, and showed him how cruel the world really was." He smiled widely, brining out his Glasgow grin. "I brought him down to my level. Those people…. Are dead because of Harvey…. Not Batman." He licked his lips repeatedly, in thought of what to say next. "I tried to show everyone, how even the person with the most good in them, can upset the established order. But then the bat, he had to take the fall. I guess it's his job I mean, but now…. There's nothing fun to do anymore."

I covered my left hand over my mouth, in shock by what he had just told me. I was both happy and enraged at the same time. I knew Batman wouldn't have just killed random people. It wasn't in his character. But I didn't know about Harvey. I began to lose hope in people that day. If someone as pure as Harvey Dent, could be turned to a monster, then what is stopping a person like me from becoming one too?

I then started to feel bad for the Joker. I know it's great that he didn't win that battle, but it was still disappointing to see how unhappy he was. Even though it was a horrible thing he did, Gotham wasn't giving credit where credit was due. I felt sorry for him.

"Oh, I'm sorry. That must be, exasperating." Was all I cloud think to say.

"Tell me about it." He slumped down on the counter, resting his head into his hands. "What time is it?"

I brought out my phone, brightening the screen. "8:40." I pushed the phone back into my pocket, focusing on the Joker, still face down on the counter. I came around to him, placing myself on the floor underneath him. His eyes popped open, and mine burned into his. "You know what you should do now?" He didn't respond, biting the inside of his cheek. "You should have one lazy day. You know, lounge around in pajamas, take off your paint, eat junk food, and just watch movies or something. That's what always cheers me up when I feel like crap."

"I would if I could." He smiled back. "But, I have to drive you to New York, and then find some way to get back. Not to mention clowns here that are too stupid to even breathe."

"C'mon. It'll be good for you. You can just stay over tonight, and then we can do it after I get all situated." I gave a short puppy dog pout. "Pwease? I think it might help you get out of this funk."

He let out a loud sigh. "Now…. Who could say no to a face like that?" He pushed himself from the table, giving a hand out to me. "I guess…. It might help." I latched onto his firm grip as he stood me up. He reached for my face, tilting it into the light. "Nice job on covering up. You can hardly tell anyone had ever laid a finger on you."

"Well…." I began, disappointed. "We'd better start loading up my stuff."

His grin soon diminished, and he made a bee-line for the door. I didn't know what he was doing, but I soon heard an engine roar, and saw him drive my car out front. He climbed out of the driver's side, tossing the keys to me. I caught them swiftly in my left hand, and we both entered the house.

It didn't take long, and all but one of my boxes were in my car. He did most of the work, because of my cast, but I carried the occasional piece of paper or something small like that. The only one missing was the Jack box. I had asked him what had happened to it, and he directed me towards a room I'd never been in before. It was tiny and cramped, with papers and blueprints scattered everywhere. I didn't waste anytime relocating the box. I lifted the lid and inspected the inside, making sure nothing was missing, before heading back out.

* * *

The Joker had just finished placing one of the last boxes into the trunk of Jill's car when he heard another vehicle approach. He rested against the back of her car silently, crossing his arms as a white van hurdled towards him.

It stopped only a few feet in front of him, spitting dust and rocks into his face. He smoothly dusted himself off, curious about who would be visiting him at the moment. Out of the van popped non other than Dr. Jonathan Crane, a.k.a Scarecrow.

He was dressed in his burlap sack mask, with a finely pressed suit on. He staggered towards the Joker, ripping his mask off. "Crane! And what do I owe the pleasure?" The joker exclaimed, leading him into the house.

Dr. Crane stood a few inches away from him, adjusting his glasses. "I'm not here for you. I'm here to see Dr. Quinzel. Arkham business."

"Oh…. So sorry Crane. She no longer resides here." The Joker chuckled, brining his hands to his sides. "Thought it be fun to take control of _my_ life. Women."

* * *

I was just about to descend the stairs when I heard someone else's voice come from below. It sounded familiar. Too familiar. I snuck a peek down to were the voice generated, and my breath caught in my throat. There, at the front door, stood Jonathan Crane. Let me tell you a little secret about Jonathan Crane. Hard to believe, but my first year out of college, we dated. But I broke up with him after seven months. Then, he started getting in with the Falcone crime family. Soon after, he started creating some sort of fear toxin, and he went insane, plaguing the city with the toxin.

So now, I stood watching him from around the corner, praying to God he was leaving soon. I didn't want him to know I was here, or that I was here with the Joker of all people.

I could hear them below, talking about Harley Quinn. " ….to take control of my life. Women." I listened in on what the Joker had said.

"Ah, that's too bad." Jonathan said. "So, found someone else, have you? That car outside surely isn't yours."

My heart started pounding, hoping he would just brush it off. "It's nothing." Was all the Joker said.

"Hmmmm…."

"If that's all you needed, you can go now, Crane." The Joker sounded annoyed, as he tried to show him the door.

But Jonathan refused, flashing a cocky grin. "Not before I meet the lucky lady!" He turned around to the stairs, and I ducked my head behind the corner. "Hiding, are we? It's okay honey, I'm a friend."

_Please don't let him find me. _I thought. _Please, don't._

"Crane….." The Joker called to him, but he didn't listen. So, he reached into his pocket, pulling out his gun. Three shots fired into the wall, barely skidding away from his back. "Get out, Crane. You're starting to ir-i-tate me."

"Aw, c'mon! Just let me see who she is." He said, still climbing up the stairs, disregarding the Joker's commands. "Why don't you want me to meet her? I just want to congratulate her on winning such a fine catch!" He giggled a high pitch squeal, and I sprang up from the ground when he wasn't stopping. I only got five steps in when I heard him stop. "Oh, she's immaculate from the back. I wonder if it's the same sight on the front."

_Crap, crap, crap crap!_ I tried to walk away, but he grabbed my wrist, and spun me around to face him. "Hello, Jonathan." I tried to sound casual about it, but his face contained a confused look.

"Jillien, baby! I thought you'd be long gone in New York by now. You really got a thing for criminals, huh?" He looked at me with his piercing blue eyes, the eyes I loved to gaze into. "By the way, you never returned my calls."

"Oh yeah. About that, I don't try to associate myself with villains, thank you very much."

"Then what on earth are you doing with this guy?" He asked, pulling off his glasses. "The last time I checked, he was the most feared man in all of Gotham. And, have you looked in the mirror lately? Seems like he has some, anger management issues."

I brushed his hand from my wrist, ready for him to leave. "I was brought here against my will, and he didn't do anything to me, I'll have you know." I grabbed my box, and descended down the stairs. "And I'm leaving, now."

The Joker stood with his back against the door, his arms crossed over his chest. "Crane, have you finished annoying my guest yet?"

Jonathan stood behind me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I was just admiring your lovely senorita." I shook his hand off. "Aw, c'mon, Jillien. You know you can't resist me."

I scoffed as loud as I could, reaching out for the door. The Joker gladly moved out of my way as I exited the house, making a bee-line for my car. I could still feel him behind me as I unlocked the back door. "Look, Jonathan, just drop this, please."

"Jillien, how about I come to New York with you? I've missed you, and all the papers have your face plastered on them, so my heart hurts more." I slammed the door shut, turning back to him. "I'm a changed man now. I was in and out of Arkham for two years. I was released because they found a way to cure me."

I burst out laughing, taking in the situation. He's a changed man, and he's at the location of the Joker, acting like they were friends. "And yet, you're here. Asking for Harley Quinn. Last time I checked, she just surpassed the crazy meter."

I felt two hands grip my shoulders tightly, and I turned around roughly, yanking the hands off of me. I looked up and saw the Joker, not Jonathan standing behind me. "Oh, sorry. I thought you were…." I stopped when I saw Jonathan face down on the ground. . "Oh, wow, thanks. You didn't kill him, did you?"

"No. I'm not that brave." He held up the handle of his gun. Indicating he'd hit him with it.

I knelt down to the eye level of Jonathan's face, brushing his hair back. "Oh, Jonathan." I flicked him in the forehead before standing back up. "Just put him back in his van or something so we can go." He did as I said, and I swooped into the passenger seat of my car. _Urg. How did my life become so complicated?_ I watched as the Joker walked back to the house, shutting and locking the door. He giggled as he entered my car, and I tossed him the keys.

"You are going to take all this…." I motioned to his face. "Off, right?"

He titled his head down, giving me an evil look. It made me feel more uncomfortable than I already was. "I mean, I just think it would be kind of weird driving down the high way and seeing that in your rear view mirror."

"You don't like it, you can drive yourself." He started to open the drivers door.

"No!" I yelled, grabbing his hand. "I'm sorry. Look, Jonathan just made me mad is all. Please don't."

He sighed, and slammed the door. I buckled my seat belt as he started the engine. But we didn't move. He just sat there, his hands at ten and two. I spoke first, breaking the awkward silence. "What are you waiting for? Let's go!"

"I thought you wanted me to take this off." He smiled, taking his gloves off. "Well, I'm not just going to wipe it on my shirt."

And with that, I climbed into the back, trying to locate something he could use. I pulled a small black towel out from under the seat, and tossed it over to him. He roughly dragged the cloth around his face, smearing the white, black, and red paint. It didn't take him long to clean it all up, but he missed spots along the way that seeped into the crevices of his face. I reached my hand over to him, to try and get what he missed off, but he only slapped my hand away.

"Hey!" I exclaimed, snatching the towel from him. "I'm just trying to help you."

He lunged for the make up caked cloth, seizing it and looking at his reflection in the rear view mirror. "I don't need your help." He studied the contours of his menacing face, gently rubbing the towel across his features.

I could see my old friend again, all except for the green hair and the now less-frightening scars.

"There." He rolled down the window, and chucked the cloth onto the dirt road. "Are you, happy now?" Putting an unnecessary enunciation at the end.

I shifted my wandering eyes from him, gazing out of the passengers window. "Yeah." Was all I said as I glanced back at him. He sped out of the driveway with such a great force that I was thrown into the back of the seat. I was nervous now, remembering the last time we were driving in a car together. With his reckless driving, we almost hit every car and pedestrian in New York. And he seemed like he was in a bad mood, worse than he normally was.

It would take eight to ten hours, depending on traffic, to get to New York. But at the speed of which he was going, it might end up being five.

There was a bad vibe that filled my prius, and neither one of us dared to speak to the other. I watched him drive, studying his demeanor. He occasionally twitched, while mumbling things under his breath that I couldn't hear. That was until thirty minutes into the drive, when I broke the silence. "So…. "

"How do you know Crane?" He rudely interrupted.

"What does it matter?"

He took his eyes off the road for only a couple of seconds, locking eyes with me. "Just tell me, why you are associated with a guy like him."

I gave out a long, fake laugh. "Funny. He asked the same thing about you."

"But I'm different. You know that. How long have I known you?" I gave no response, wanting him to drop the subject. But he continued. "I'm just watching out for you. I need to make sure you're not going down a path you'll…. regret." He stopped at a red light, at an intersection with hundreds of cars. "So tell me. How do you two know each other?"

This was too good. The irony, that him, the Joker, doesn't want me going down the wrong path. The path he was already leading me on. "Aw, I thought you would have known. You've stalked me for, how long now?"

He looked back at me, clenching his fists. "Tell me, now. Or this won't be a fun trip for you, my dear."

"Why are you acting like this?" He gave no response, chaotically plunging through the green light. I had no choice than to tell him. I didn't know how he was going to react, but I might as well get it off of my chest. "Fine. You win. This was before he became this scarecrow thing. I met him like four years ago, when I interviewed him for a piece in the paper. We hit it off, and dated for about seven months." I gently slid my hair behind my ears. "Are you happy now?"

"Hm" he giggled. "Oh this is too good! You and Crane! What a cute couple you must have been! But what happened? Did he get tired of your constant complaining, or were you asking to many questions? No, I've got it! He got bored of your stupid writing. You probably spent more time with your nose in your journal that you did on him!"

My mouth gapped open, hurt deeply by what he had just said. My eyes began to water, but I discretely wiped them away. "I'll have you know, I was the one who broke up with him." But more tears swooped down onto my cheeks, and I didn't try hiding them anymore. His comment about my writing being stupid stung greatly. I stole a peek at him, to see him staring back casually at me, with no sympathy on his face, or a sign that he cared. I couldn't look at him anymore. "He's a better man than you ever were."

I was so upset, I couldn't think straight. He was being so nice to me earlier, and now he was acting crazy again. And it didn't make sense. I didn't do anything to make him angry. He was being irrational for no reason. I thought he was trying to put an effort in to be my friend again, but I was wrong.

"Uh huh." He mumbled. "If he's such a better man, then why didn't you let him take you to New York? He obviously wanted you back, why didn't you let him? He's changed, you know! Both of you are so lost without the other. Why don't you run back to him already? I'll bet he's dying to get into your pants."

I couldn't take him anymore. There was no way I was going to be friends with him anymore now. "Fine. I will. He's treated me better than you ever did. At least he doesn't have psycho girlfriends who feel me as a threat, or henchmen who want to feel me up."

"Fine." Was all he said as he slammed on the brakes, swerving into a nearby gas station. I hit my head on the window, but of course he didn't care. He hopped out of the car, walking down the street with out stopping.

"Where are you going?" I jumped out of the car.

"Back." He didn't even turn around.

I ran up behind him, shoving him in the back. "How the hell am I suppose to get to New York then? In case you haven't noticed, my wrist is broken!"

He slowly spun his head around to me, licking his lips, flashing a wide smile that made me cringe. "Maybe you can have your boyfriend come get you."

And with that, he was off, leaving me standing alone behind the gas station. _Are you kidding me?_ Fine. If he was going to be like that, I wasn't going to stop him. Two could play at that game. I did the only thing I could think of, and I whipped out my phone. I just hoped he still had the same number. I quickly dialed what I remember to be his, and held the phone to my ear.

There was a low ringing noise that seemed to go on forever. I was just about to give up and hang up when he answered.

"It's Jillien. Can you come help me?" I looked back at the street, thee Joker no where to be seen.

**SexyJokerLovers:**** Well? Did you like it? Did you hate it? What did you think about the Joker? Doesn't Jill understand that he's like completely Jealous of Crane? It's sweet, but he just gets too steamed. So review! Please let me know! I'm begging you! I'm losing inspiration! If you didn't like it, tell me how i can improve. I'm writing this for you guys, you know. *puppy dog pout*  
**


	10. The City That Never Sleeps

**SexyJokerLovers****: New chapter. Woot woot! I was bored with it a bit, but I hope you guys wont be! Enjoy!**

The Joker paced back to his hideout, careful not to be seen by anyone. How no one seemed to notice him, hunched over in his signature purple coat, his scars plastered on his face, he will never know.

He was just too upset, silently stepping through the streets of Gotham, trying to asses the situation that had unfolded before him. Something snapped inside of him once he learned that "his" Jill had previously dated the notorious Dr. Jonathan Crane. He didn't like it. Hated it in fact. She spent those months with Crane after he had become the Joker, while she should have been there with him. Despair filled inside of him as he continued to rant inside of his head.

He couldn't stand the fact that Crane had gotten her all to himself those months. She should have been there for him. That time was a dark period in his life. He had just become the Joker, and he needed a friend to talk to every so often once he began killing people. Instead, she was gallivanting off with some insane, wide-eyed doctor who enjoyed spraying crap into people's faces.

_How could she spend her time with that freak?_ He thought to himself. _What was so interesting about him? What does he have that I don't?_

With each thought, he gradually grew more and more enraged. He didn't mean to offend her like he did. When he saw the hurt expression on her face, he grew even angrier, but at himself for making her feel that way. He couldn't contain it all. He shouldn't have left her like he did, but he had gone too far to turn back now. And then he started to hate himself for telling her to ask Crane if he could drive her the rest of the way. He didn't think she would do it, though. Once he reached his hideout, if Crane was still there, he was going to strangle him.

The Joker stopped, once more contemplating rushing back to his friend. He tugged away at the thought again, continuing his trip back home.

* * *

I sat down on the hood of my car, desperately waiting for him to arrive. Hard to believe, I had called Jonathan Crane to come to my rescue. I wasn't thinking clearly, from the anger and frustration the Joker had dwelled upon me. I was extremely lucky that Jonathan wasn't knocked out for long; otherwise I would have had no one else to turn to.

I let my mind wander a bit while I waited for him, hoping to figure out if I could trust him or not. The last I remembered of him, he was locked away in Arkham, getting treated for another one of those creepy mental sicknesses inhabitants of Gotham seemed to be coming down with lately.

He said he was cured and they let him go. I vaguely remember reading something about it in the paper a couple of weeks ago. I remembered scanning something about him that said his license to practice medicine would be fully revoked, and he would be under constant watch the first few months after his release.

I would have to keep a watchful eye. Just because he was a former boyfriend doesn't mean he was still trustworthy. The Joker was my former best friend, and he still hasn't earned my trust completely. In fact I was starting to lose that trust that he had fought so hard to gain.

I waited for him for about twenty five minutes, silently chewing on some beef jerky I had purchased from the convenience store only minutes before his arrival. His white van pulled up next to my prius, which looked like an ant compared to his vehicle of transportation.

He poured out of the van, an amused grin on his face as he approached me. "I knew you couldn't resist me."

"Ha. You're funny. I just didn't have anyone else that I could think of to call." I slid off the hood, stumbling to the driver's side door.

"Oh, and tell your boyfriend not to hit me like that. I have a knot on the back of my head the size of a baseball."

I stole a look behind me, trying to hide my grin. "He's not my boyfriend. Don't ever call him that." He gave me a huge smile. "Look, I don't know if I fully trust you. You were incarcerated, you know."

He placed his hands into his pockets, still smiling as he spoke. "But I'm better now, honest. Otherwise they wouldn't have released me."

"Uh huh. Just don't try any funny business. I just need you to get me there and help me move in a bit and that's it."

He dramatically pulled the glasses from his face, looking down on me in a way he used to do, which often made me go weak at the knees. However, I was in no mood for his games. "That doesn't work on me anymore." I lied, because even though my brain fought it, my body didn't, and my heart began to fire up. I shoved past him, my gaze falling onto the road. "Okay, so how is this going to work?"

"Well, before we decide what's going on, you have to tell me one thing."

"Shoot." I looked dead in his eyes, annoyed with his toying games.

"How did you come into the company of the Joker?"

Of course that would have been his question. What else would he have asked? I tried getting past it, because there was no way I was going to reveal to him that most personal aspect of my life. "How about we hook my car up onto the thingy on the back of your van, and then we'll just drive like that."

"Don't avoid my question, Jillien." He sauntered towards me. "I'm just curious, as to why, he would take you and bring you there, only to let you go. It just doesn't seem like it would be in his character."

I'm sure it wasn't in his character to let his prey go, but I wasn't his woman he toyed with and gave demands to. There was nothing like that that would ever go on between us. "Look, it's a long story."

"That's fine. It's a long drive."

"Fine. Hook this thing up and get in. I'll bet you're dying to know." The truth was no matter how long the drive, how much time, or how much he would thrive off of me telling him, I wasn't going to share that part of my life with him. I hardly told him previous aspects of my life when we were together, and there was no way I was going to reveal them to him after what he's proven about himself.

I stood patiently behind him, waiting effortlessly as he hooked up my small car to the back of his oversized van. He took no time at all, and brushed his brown slacks off, trotting to the van. Something in my gut was telling me not to follow him as he held the door open to me, but my head was telling me that somewhere the Joker was watching, furious at me. I smiled at the amused doctor before me, climbing into his car. I wished I could have seen the Joker's face if he was watching. And I wouldn't even feel sorry. It was his fault for putting me in this position.

I tightly buckled the seat belt, trying to come up with a believable story while he hurriedly hopped into the driver's seat. He started the engine with a wrist flicking motion, and we skidded out onto the street. It wasn't long before he asked me the question again. "So…. How _did _you come into the company of the Joker?"

I let out a long sigh. "Well…." I started, contemplating what to say as an excuse. "I don't know why, but he…. likes the articles, that I've written about him." It was the first thing that popped into my head, and I couldn't stop myself from blurting it out. I just prayed he would believe it. "And, he took me…. because…. he wanted me to, write a story, from his point of view."

"Uh huh."

"And…. If I didn't get the article published, he was going to blow up The Gotham times." I stuttered my sentences, looking over at his disbelieving glare.

"Why didn't you contact the police?" He questioned.

I focused my gaze out the window, my head pounding as the road flew through my eyes. "He would have killed me if I did." He looked as if he was going to open his mouth to ask another question, but I cut him off before he had the chance. "Look, I answered your question, now can you please just drop this? I don't feel comfortable talking about him. He's so psychotic."

"Fine. Then let's talk about…." He started, and I laid my head against the window, shutting my eyes. "Why you broke up with me those years ago. You never told me, you know, and I'm curious as to why."

I really wasn't in the mood for this. First drilling me about the Joker, and now he wanted me to tell him why I dumped him. "I have a headache. Can we please not discuss this now?"

"C'mon. Was it because I wasn't as gentle as I should have been?" he asked, grabbing my hand gently. I instinctively yanked it from his grasp. "Please? What if I give you a cookie? Everyone likes cookies!"

"If I tell you, will you stop talking?"

He tilted his head down, giving me the okay to tell him. I really didn't want to, but I felt my headache worsen every time he spoke. I just wanted him to be quiet for a little while at least. "I broke up with you because I just didn't get that spark anymore. I just wasn't having fun anymore, and I wanted out. There, are you happy now?"

"Indubitably."

He didn't speak at all after that; his eyes were only fixed on the road. I leaned my head back against the window, trying to block him out. My eyelids lay down, and within a couple of minutes I was fast asleep.

_In the narrows of Gotham, a young girl stood in the middle of the street, watching helplessly as a bloody battle unfolded before her. She grimaced as a boy about her age was thrown to the ground, and was beaten mercilessly. _

_She wanted to help him, but she could not will her legs to move. Nothing on her body was mobile, and she was forced to watch as three men held the boy down beneath them. He was gasping for air, crying out for help, and yet she still could not aid in his rescue._

"_Please, someone help me!" he cried out over and over again._

_She felt sick to her stomach as she painfully listened to the sounds of him being tortured. She tried calling out to him, "Jack! Jack!" but he couldn't hear her. Tears pierced her golden face, giving her a glistening look._

_Her eyes never peeled away as the men leaned over the boy with a blade. She was crying so much that the tears blurred her vision, and she missed the men sticking the blade in his mouth, yanking it up through both cheeks. He screamed out in immense pain, awestruck by what had just happened. He clutched both sides of his mouth, blood pouring into his hands._

_The men all gave a hearty laugh, then darted away unnoticed. The girl could now move freely, and shot over to him like a speeding bullet. She leaned over his mangled body, wrapping their hands together. _

_His eyes began to close, and his pulse weakened. She cried out at the sight. "Jack, no! Please Jack! Don't leave me! I love you!" His eyes sprung open for a quick second, landing on hers. He gave a small smile before he went limp. She still held his hand as it lost all feeling._

I jerked myself awake, flinching from the sight of the horrible dream I had just experienced. My heart rate sped up, and I found it hard to control my breath. What I had just experienced scared the living day light out of me. I had watched nervously as Jack received his infamous scars.

I closed my eyes again, holding my head up so I wouldn't fall asleep and have another terrible dream like that.

"Have a bad dream?" Jonathan broke through my silence. I nodded quietly in his direction, returning my gaze back in front of me. "Who's Jack?"

I nearly jumped at the sound of the name when it passed his lips. How did he know about Jack? "How do you know that name?" I turned my attention to him, curious as to how he knew.

"You're a very cute sleeper. Especially when you called out his name. 'Jack…. Jack!' So, who is he?" he let a laugh slip out, but I was not amused by his mocking.

"He's just an old friend." I let slip past my dry lips. Did I always talk in my sleep? "He's no one important." He continued to glare at me curiously, as if I was going to tell him more. "You know, you should keep your eyes on the road there, pretty boy."

I laughed chaotically, and he joined in after as well. He returned his eyes to the road. I looked at my watch, and it was about two o'clock. The drive was only about halfway over.

"So, what was happening to this, Jack, in your dream?" Jonathan's voice rose up, sounding almost defensive.

I decided I might as well tell him. It's not like it was anything he could ever hold against me. "Well, I was in the narrows, watching as Jack was being attacked by these three guys." I wiped a drop of sweat from my forehead, imagining the god awful dream again. "I couldn't get to him, and I was forced to watch as they, cut him up. Only when they left I was able to get to him. I watched him die."

I was shaken up once again, when he spoke, "And you told him you loved him. Sounds like he's not just a nobody to me."

I had said that too? Great! "I don't _love _him. Well, maybe. But just as friends." I did used to love Jack as a friend, but that was before everything that had happened. I sill might, I don't really know. He's just so, confusing sometimes. He's the Joker now, and I thought maybe I would be able to love him like I loved Jack. But every time I think he's going to zig, he zags, and I don't know how much more of it I could have handled if I would have stayed in Gotham.

"So then he is important." Jonathan broke through my thoughts. "Let's play doctor for a couple of minutes, shall we?" I nodded my head, curious as to what he was going to do. "Have you had this dream before?"

I had to think on that one. I haven't had a dream like that one before, but some have been similar. And they all involved Jack. "I've had some like it, where something is happening to Jack and I cant get to him. But they were years ago."

"So, you've had reoccurring dreams about someone you care about, where something bad has been happening to him, and you just cant get to him." He adjusted his glasses and then spoke again. "Sounds to me like your subconscious is telling you something."

"What could it be saying?"

"Well, I'm not an expert, but it sounds to me, that your subconscious is telling you that Jack is too far from being saved." I breathed a heavy sigh as he continued. "Or it could mean that something is going to happen to this person, and you wont be able to stop it."

I didn't know what to think of what he said. I didn't think something bad was going to happen to the Joker anytime soon, considering he could kill someone with a pencil. But the idea that I couldn't save him made sense to me. Maybe my subconscious was telling me that he was beyond saving. He was so far into his Joker persona that he would never be able to be Jack again. I already new that, so what was it trying to tell me?

I pushed the thought away, not wanting to relish in the suppressed memories. We went back to driving in an awkward silence again, and not before long I needed to go to the bathroom.

We pulled up to a small gas station, and I hurriedly leaped into the unsanitary restroom. When I was finished, I wandered around the store for a while, picking out a couple snacks for the rest of the trip. I grabbed a snickers, a pack of gum, and some more beef jerky.

I arrived back at the van, quickly hopping inside. Jonathan was waiting patiently in the driver's seat, munching on a kit kat. I closed the door, sliding my seatbelt on. He drove off in a hurry, and before long, the five hours of the rest of the voyage came to an end, and we arrived at my apartment at around seven o'clock.

I excitedly flew from the van, racing to the sidewalk. I glanced up to the top of the building, breathing in the fresh New York air. One look and I knew I was home. I was so ready to start the new chapter of my life; there would be no more Gotham, no more crazed maniacs, and no more people who want to kill me.

"So, let's hurry. It's getting dark out here." I said as he unhooked my car from the back. I opened the door to the front part of the building, coming face to face with the landlady whose name escaped me.

"Oh honey! I got scared you weren't going to make it!" she stepped back when she saw my injuries. "Oh darling, what happened? Are you okay?"

I was lucky I wore a long sleeve shirt; otherwise she would have questioned me further. "Oh, I just got sideswiped by a retard, but I'm fine."

"Are you going to need some help out there?" she asked sympathetically. I nodded my head to her, thankful for the help. We trotted out side, and she pulled me aside when she saw Jonathan standing by my car. "Oh, who's that handsome young man?"

"That's…. um, my brother." I lied. "He's just here to help me move in." she gave a snicker and brushed passed me, taking out a box. She and Jonathan both followed me inside, up the stairs, and into the apartment, setting the boxes down on the floor. I helped occasionally, carrying in items that were small enough for me to carry. Before long, every thing was unloaded and piled up in my living room.

"Thank you so much for all your help." I gave her a big bear hug, still forgetting her name.

"Yeah, thanks for all the help Mrs.…." Jonathan paused, trying to get at her name.

"Birch. Cheryl Birch." They shook hands, and she proceeded to walk out the door when she turned back to us. "Is your brother going to be staying with you Ms. Harding?"

A confused look appeared on his face, and I was quick to answer before he could say anything that could counter my remark. "No, my _bro_ is renting a hotel for tonight, and then he'll be home in Gotham tomorrow, right?"

"Oh yeah. Only here for one day to help out my _sister_." He laughed, joining in on the fib. It was okay up until he put his arm around me. "We'll see you later Mrs. Birch."

"Goodnight, see ya'll later."

She left, closing the door without a sound. I quickly brushed Jonathan's arm from off of my shoulder. "Okay, so thanks for helping me out. I owe you one."

"Okay, how about you repay that debt by letting me take you out to dinner tonight?"

I faked a smile, opening one of my many boxes. "I don't know, I have to unpack, and get every thing ready." He stared down at me with his gorgeous blue eyes, giving me a puppy dog pout. I might as well. Then I wouldn't have to deal with his antics anymore. "Fine, do you know any places nearby?"

"I know just the place."

It was completely dark out when exited the building. He led me down the street. I was shocked to find he looked like he knew exactly where he was going. "Have you been around here before? You seem to know exactly where you're going."

"Lets just say I've been around here before." He pulled out an Almond Joy, shoving it in my face. "Here, I got this for you. I remembered it was your favorite."

"Um, thanks." I reached out and snatched it from him, savoring the sweet chocolate and coconut goodness as it entered my mouth. "How on earth did you remember?"

"Are you kidding? I remember every thing about you." He stated flatly. "Like the way you loved to write, or your extensive ugly sweater collection, or the way you tussle your hair when you're nervous."

"Aw, stop. Look, I'm not that special." I stopped speaking when I noticed I was fidgeting with my hair. "Besides, that was three years ago. We only dated for a couple of months."

"The best months of my life!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air. "C'mon, why don't we try again?"

A loud, nervous laugh escaped my throat. He couldn't be serious. I didn't want to date him. I mean, he _was _a flipping criminal for crying out loud. Yes he was charming, handsome, and funny, but I wouldn't date him again for anything in the world. He was always too into his experiments, and never had any time for me. I know he got his license taken away and could never practice medicine again, but I still didn't want to be with him.

"Look, Jonathan. It's a nice thought, but I don't see it happening." I bluntly spat out.

He shoved his hands into his pockets, "Well why not?"

"Why not? I don't want to offend you or anything, but you were a criminal. You were working for the Falcone crime family. You created a fear hallucinogen, and aided to almost destroy Gotham." I could see a slight bit of hurt in his eyes, but I still continued. "You called yourself this Scarecrow thing, and you changed. I don't know if I fully believe that you're cured."

A couple of people along the street began to stare, and I pulled down a small space in between two brick buildings. "But I have been cured. The doctors at Arkham gave me a clean bill of health. Just give it a chance. I know you want to."

"Jonathan, just drop it."

He reached over and grasped my elbow, holding it in a tight grip. "C'mon. It'll be fun."

"No." I spat in his face, trying to rip my arm from his bony fingers. When he didn't release me, I grew furious. "Let. Me. Go." He was not allowed to do that to me.

"Just give it a chance." I felt the heat radiating off of him, and the once dreamy blue eyes of his turned to black orbs, full of hatred.

"No." he released his grip from me, and I spun away from him as fast as I could, attempting to run away. Of course, that was not the case. Within seconds, his arms were strongly wrapped around me. I tried to scream, but his right hand covered my mouth along with my nose, cutting my air supply off. He moved the hand from my mouth, and spun me around to face him. I wasn't at all surprised to see the burlap sack placed on his head. "I knew it! You lied to me! You were never cured! You psychopath, let me go!"

"Shut up!" he cried as he brought his wrist up to my face. "Tell me Jillien, what is it that you fear most?" I was flabbergasted when the gas was released from his watch, spraying my face head on. It shot into my eyes, inflaming them as I tried to wipe it away. I coughed and hacked, trying to get the toxin out of my system. It was then the visions began to swarm. I peered out at the Scarecrow, screaming bloody murder as gallons of blood spilled from his mouth. "What do you see?" he asked excited by my pain. His skin then proceeded to peel itself of, and mounds of flesh fell on top of me. I called out for help as I tried to get his blood off of me. Scarecrow was huddled over my thrashing body, screaming something inaudible.

I thought his continuing to bleed would go on forever until I something caused his head to turn away from me. Throughout my horrid screaming I could hear the sound of a whip-like noise, and the next thing I knew, Scarecrow was thrown into the air, white strings attached to his body.

"The Doctor's in!" I could faintly hear some one say. It sounded like the voice of a young man. I could still see blood, but this time pouring out of the walls. In a flash the Scarecrow was gone. But the person who spoke remained with me. I could barely make out someone with red and blue attire, with giant white coverings over the eyes. He almost looked like… a spider. "Are you alright, miss?"

The visions were calming down, or I had hoped they were. "I think so. Thank you." He began to run away, but I stopped him. "Wait! Who are you?"

"Me, well I'm just your friendly neighborhood…." He was cut off by the Scarecrow's piercing, blood curdling scream. "Gotta go!" and as fast as he appeared, he was gone.

I sat alone in the alley way, coughing my lungs out while trying to get the rest of the fear hallucinogen out of my eyes. I stopped when an unexpected, but familiar voice echoed through the alley. "Now, this isn't a time for I told you so…."

**SexyJokerLovers: Oh Crane! What would we do without your crazy fear gas? Guys, we all knew he wasn't cured! Him being insane is what makes him so sexy! I know it was random, but since Jill moved to New York, it just seemed fitting to add a pinch of Spider-Man into it. Not the Andrew Garfield version, no! Toby McGuire all the way! But he probably won't be in it anymore though. After all, this is a Batman storyline. AAh well. Review!  
**


	11. Apology Accepted

**SexyJokerLover's:**** Wow, this is the quickest update I've ever done! thanks to every one who has reviewed and read.**

"Now this isn't a time for I told you so…" I glared silently as the Joker, of course, appeared before me in the alley. He had no grease- paint on though. "But, you know…. I told you so." My throat was sore from all my screaming that I didn't even have the energy to speak to him.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small needle. He towered over my small, shaking body, about to thrust the needle into my leg when I angrily kicked it from him. "Easy there, it's only the antidote, princess." He pierced the needle into my thigh, and injected the cold fluids. I shuddered slightly at the pinch from the needle, but I started to feel immensely better afterward. My eyes stopped their incessant irritation, and the blood that began to form over every thing dispersed.

"Now, doesn't that feel much better?" he teased. "Let's see if we can't get you home before Crane decides he's not fin-ished with you yet." He lifted my weak body from the ground, but I could not work my legs, and was about to fall forward when he caught me. "Looks like someone's had to much to drink tonight."

And with that, he scooped me up into his arms before I could protest. I began to get a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. He was here again, saving my life (well not really, but sort of). I had so many questions, and complaints I was going to drill him about as soon as we got back to my apartment.

His toned arms released me once we reached the door to my place. I stumbled backwards, but caught myself and regained my balance. As soon as I unlocked the door and we both stepped inside, I immediately began to pour out what was on my mind.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I closed the door to make sure no one could hear my pathetic attempt at screaming.

He pulled out a small pistol and placed it on the counter in the kitchen. "You forgot this. And it seems like you're really going to need it here. If a weirdo gases you your first day here, I would hate to see what's coming for you tomorrow!"

"You're the one who left me to that creep!"

"Oh no, Jilly Bean, you went with him on your own." He bound toward me as I clenched my fists in anger. "I told you he was a _freak_. But you still went with him. You really have a poor judge of character."

He couldn't be serious! After what he did, he's saying it was all my fault? "You were the one who left me stranded out there! You even told me to call him! I had no choice but to enlist in his help. And now you dare stand before me and say I have poor judgment?" my voice became raspier the more I yelled. "No, the only poor judgment I had was thinking I could ever trust you again."

I raised my fist to punch him, but he blocked it, squeezing my hand in his palm. "Look, I don't want there to be any hard feelings between us. If it makes you happy…. I will, admit…. That my actions were not…. Beneficial, and you can count on me that it won't happen again." He released my hand before adding, "I'm a man off my word."

"Well, well, well. Is the big, bad Joker, the most feared man in all of Gotham, actually apologizing to little ole' me?" I asked mockingly. His mouth morphed into a frown, and I continued. "Now, I do believe there's more to a real apology than that, hmm?"

I laughed under my breath at the sight of his face as he chocked out an apology. "I'm…..so….s-s-s-s-s, s-s-s-s, s-s-s-s-ooooo-r-r-r-y-y-y."

I jokingly patted his cheek before kneeing him in the crotch. "Now, was that so hard? Apology accepted, for now."

He didn't react the way I thought he would for being kneed in such a sensitive place. He stood unfazed by my attempt of roughing him up. "The boys have been through worse than that doll face. But you've got a little fight in you. You're lucky I like that."

"Oh I'm sure you are." I muttered under my breath, chuckling at him. I plopped down on the couch that came with the apartment. It had a deep shade of blue, and it felt like velvet. "How are you going to get back to Gotham?" I asked, curious as to what he was going to do.

He jumped over the back of the couch, bouncing next to me. "Oh, didn't you hear? I'm on vacation! Probably going to stay here in the Big Apple for a little while. Now…. if only I had a place to stay?"

I knew what he was getting at, and I quickly jumped to answer. "Oh, there's a motel just down the street. I think they finally have running water now." He laughed in my face before climbing on top of me.

He held me down on the couch underneath him, pinning my wrists by my head. "You know, I would have thought…. That since I was so kind the let you into my house…. You would _return_ the generosity."

"Let me? Ha! More like forced me." I tried to wiggle my self from under him, but I was still too weak from the fear gas. "If I let you stay, will you get off of me?" Like a little kid he shook his head yes, and jumped off of me. "You get the couch."

I gave a worried look to him, and he sat down next to me. "Look, it won't be _that _bad. I'll probably only be here for a couple of days. Relax. You're so tense all the time."

"That's because someone is trying to kill me every other day." I joked, even though it was pretty much true. First Harley Quinn, then the Joker's goons, and now the Scarecrow.

"One more reason why I'm here. You see, I don't know if it's just me, or best friend's instincts, but…. You have a knack for getting into trouble, and I just feel the need to protect you." I looked at him with intrigued eyes as he motioned awkwardly with his hands.

"Well slap my face, and call me Edna!" I blurted aloud. "I didn't realize this was the psychiatrist's office. Who are you and what have you done with the Joker?" He looked at me confused, and a little hurt by my comment. His mouth contoured into a wicked scowl that frightened me a bit. "I'm just kidding. Don't take things so se-ri-ous-ly. That remark just caught me off guard is all." I reached forward and took his hand in my non broken one. "It's nice to know that you care though." I jumped up to start unloading some of my stuff, but I couldn't move anywhere because he still held my hand. He stared off into space as I tried to yank it away. "I'm kind of going to need my hand there, J."

He looked misplaced as he let go. "What? Oh, sorry." I rubbed my hand, beginning to unpack the kitchen wares when he spoke. "You going to need some help there?" I nodded in complement, directing him on where everything should go.

Before long, we were finished with the kitchen, and my room. It was only nine o'clock, but I was beat from my oh so exciting day. I sunk into the couch, lying on my stomach, my face pressed into one of the throw pillows. I tried to welcome sleep as it began to meet me, but the Joker's voice caught my attention.

"I thought I was getting the couch." He whispered in a soft, gentle voice.

"Uh huh." I mumbled without opening my eyes.

"Jill, are you asleep?" he spoke softer. I again mumbled into the pillow. "C'mon little girl, this couch ain't big enough for the both of us." He carefully picked me up and carried me to my room. I nestled my head into his neck before he softly laid me down on the bed.

I slung the covers over my body, resting my head onto the pillows. The last thing I heard was a light chuckle and the door close before I effortlessly dropped my eyes, falling into a deep slumber.

* * *

When I woke up, I felt care free. Something had been lifted off of my chest, but I couldn't tell what is was. I felt giddy and light as air. Too bad it wouldn't last.

I strolled into the living room, surprised to see the Joker no where to be seen. Curious. I checked the time, seeing it was seven in the morning. Hunger gnawed at my stomach, and I was surprised to find eggs, milk, and other food items in my fridge. The Joker must've not gotten sleep last night, and decided to go out and buy food. Peculiar.

I pulled out a couple of eggs and a frying pan, deciding to make some eggs sunny side up. I cracked the egg's shell, and watched as the egg splattered onto the pan, sizzling from the heat. I was so transfixed on the sight that I almost didn't hear the door open.

I turned my head slightly, seeing the Joker, with no face paint, out of the corner of my eye, carrying a small bag. "Well, good morning sleeping beauty. I thought you were never going to wake up."

"What do you mean by that? I was only asleep for like, nine hours." I slid the egg off of the pan and onto a green plate. Then I poured myself a glass of milk.

He pulled a chair from the kitchen table up to the counter next to me, and licked his lips repeatedly. "I mean…. You were asleep for three days, Jill."

I raised the glass of milk to my mouth right as he said it. I coughed the milk up from my throat, spitting it all over the counter. "I'm sorry, can you repeat that?"

"You've been asleep for three days." He giggled. "Side effects from the fear gas. It's almost like you were in a coma."

I slammed the glass onto the counter, racing into the bedroom. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be happening. I lunged for my phone which was thrown on top of the bedside table, trying to see if I had any missed calls. My heart dropped when I saw that I had eleven.

The Joker followed me into the room, wondering why I was acting like I did. "What's the matter there, Jill?"

"What's the matter? I was suppose to start my job yesterday!" I yelled in his face. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"I tried, but you wouldn't budge."

"Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!" We were both astounded by the amount of cursing I was doing. I had missed my first day at the New York Times. And I was about to be late for my second. "God, I'll be lucky if I don't get fired!" I didn't even care that he was in the room as I pulled off my shirt, and put on a button up white blouse. "Shit, shit, shit!" I kept repeating as I pulled a black pencil skirt on.

I rushed into the bathroom, grabbing a hair brush and messily bringing my tangled brown hair onto a ponytail. I raced out and pulled a pair of black pumps from one of my bags, and chucked the shoes onto my feet. "I have to go, so um, do what ever you like. I'll see you later." And with that, I sprang through the door, leaving him to do god knows whatever in my apartment.

I pulled out my phone to see what time it was, and it was around seven fifteen, which meant I had only fifteen minutes to get to the building and pray to them that they don't fire me.

I looked around, realizing I left my car keys in the apartment. I had no time to run up and get them, so I quickly flagged down a cab. I stepped in gingerly, directing him to the New York Times. We made it in ten minutes, and I paid the guy before sprinting inside.

My heart was about to leap from my chest as I entered the building. It was a whole lot more high class than the Gotham times. Well, I wouldn't expect otherwise. I was extremely nervous and was sweating bullets as I approached the front desk. A young receptionist with fiery red hair greeted me with a wide grin plastered on her face.

"What can I do for you miss?" she spoke softly.

I was so nervous I could barely speak. When I found the words to speak, I fumbled over them quite a bit. "My name is Jillien Harding. I'm supposed to start as a columnist…."

"Ms. Harding! Oh boy. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Mr. Keating isn't too pleased with you right now." She got up from behind the counter, now standing in front of me. "He's very upset that you weren't here yesterday, and you didn't answer any of our calls. Please, follow me."

I felt my pulse speed up, if that was even possible, and I was terrified as I followed swiftly behind her. I was lead through an array of desks and cubicles, reporters and journalists typing and writing. My mind kept wandering around. This place was beautiful. I could smell papers right of the press. I knew it was where I was mean to be. I just hoped it wasn't going to be my first and last day.

My mind was cut off as the lady opened the door to Mr. Keating's office. I stepped inside. I could feel my insides turning as he motioned me to sit down in the chair in front of him.

"Ms. Harding. Glad you finally decided to show up." He looked impatient as I took a seat in the leather chair. "You missing your first day was unacceptable. And unless you had a good excuse, this will count against you."

Great, this was my chance. I had a reasonable excuse. "I was…." I stopped before I could explain, and thought about how I would phrase it. I was asleep for three days. No, I was in a coma for three days. But not at a hospital. Someone should have called for me, but no one was around too. The Joker was, but he didn't know I was starting work that day. There was no clear way to say it, and it even sounded irresponsible as I thought of it. "I thought I started today." I lied, making me look even more irresponsible and amateur.

"We are very strict here Ms. Harding, and we don't take kindly to failure." He rose from his chair and placed his hands on his desk. "I would very much like to fire you for that stunt you pulled." I could feel myself deteriorating from the inside until he spoke again. "But I'm not going to do that." I gasped loudly. "I feel you have a lot of potential. But you're going to have to work for it. You're not going to be writing right away though. I want to make sure you can handle this place, so…."

He reached under his desk, pulling out a giant stack of manila folders. They reached from my torso to my neck. "You're going to have to scan every single one of these into the main computer, and place them into their correct folders. I want them all done before you leave today. And tomorrow, I'll have more for you to do."

"Yes sir."

"I'll be keeping a very close eye on you, Harding. Don't disappoint me." He said, shoving the folders into my hands. "The computer is down the hall and to the left. The scanner is right next to it. Have fun."

He opened the door for me, "Thank so much Mr. Keating! I won't let you down!" I slid out of his office and wandered shaking down the hallway, until I found the main computer. I was disappointed that I was only going to be scanning documents for a while, but I was more overjoyed that he didn't fire me. I knew I could work my way up, even if I was starting this low.

I set the stack of folders down onto the table, moving the mouse around to wake up the monitor. Each folder on the desktop was labeled a different date, and the manila folders were too. I glanced over at the scanner before turning it on.

I placed the first piece of paper inside the opening, and pressed the big red button. Within seconds the document appeared on the desktop. I dragged it into the correct folder, labeled _11/2_, and got working on the rest.

"Jillien Harding in the flesh!" I heard a familiar, perky voice come from behind the cubicle. A tall blond woman stepped forward, her arms stretched out to me. I immediately recognized my old college roommate.

"Rebecca St. Germaine, that can't be you!" I wrapped my arms around her, giving her a sincere hug. "I didn't know you worked here! I didn't even know you were a writer!"

A bright smile lit up her face, but it faded once she saw the cast and the not covered black eye. "Whoa, what happened to you?"

"Small car accident, I'm fine. How long have you been working here?" I asked interested to why she never told me she was going to be a writer.

She leaned against the desk, twirling her fingers in her hair. "I've been here for about two years now. I was so excited to hear that you were starting tomorrow, but I couldn't find you anywhere."

"Long story. Something came up and I wasn't able to come in tomorrow. I didn't call, and Mr. Keating wants me to start here, scanning documents." I placed another paper in to the scanner and pressed the button. "He said he wants me to work my way up since I was irresponsible for yesterday."

Her mouth gapped open, "You're kidding me. This means he's going to have everyone watching you. If you mess up even one time, for the littlest thing, you better pray you have a back up job."

"Thanks for the support, Rebecca. I really needed that!" Now I was even more nervous than I was before. I quickly resumed my work, scanning every document in sight. If every one was going to be watching me, I was going to look like I was a hard worker.

"Sorry. I'm just helping you out. They are very strict here. It is the New York Times you know." She stated. "So, tell me, what has Gotham been like since I left? I've read your pieces on the Joker killings, very well written by the way, but is there anything else that I've missed?"

Oh, what a question! "Where to begin! Well, the Joker broke out of Arkham, blew up a couple of buildings, you know, same old with him. The Batman has gone into hiding for 'killing' Harvey Dent. The usual Gotham stuff."

"Hmm….." she let out, adjusting her hair. "And how's Jack?"

I accidentally placed one of the documents into the wrong folder on the desktop when she asked. "Jack, oh he's… you know."

"No. I don't know. How is he?"

What to say? What to Say? "Actually, I haven't talked to _Jack _in four years."

She gasped right in my ear, startling me. "What? You're kidding! No, you guys were inseparable!" she leaped from the desk and placed her hands on my shoulders. "What happened?"

"Oh, we just had a little falling out is all." I spoke. Which was the truth. "He, uh, started to become a…. different person. I didn't really recognize my friend any more."

"Oh that's too bad. I swear, I thought ya'll were going to…." She trailed off as Mr. Keating slowly approached us.

"Ms. St. Germaine,

"Can we please find something productive so we aren't keeping Ms. Harding from her work?" he grumbled from behind me, and I didn't dare turn around. She left in a hurry and disappeared around the corner. "No distractions Ms. Harding."

"Yes sir." I trembled as he walked away.

Out of no where Rebecca sprung up from behind the cubicle. She whispered, "Meet me in the break room during lunch. It's up the stairs and to the left. We can talk more there."

I nodded my head and smiled at her, happy she was here with me. I was so lucky I didn't have to go at this job alone. I rushed through the papers, scanning then filing, then more scanning and filing. It was around twelve o'clock when everyone started to get up to go to lunch. I was almost halfway done with the papers, and my back was stiff.

I cracked my back, and climbed up the stairs and into the break room. There standing around a tray of sandwiches was Rebecca and many other workers. "Hey, everyone!" she hollered. "This is Jillien Harding, the newest member of the team. Jillien, this is Stan, Marcie, Tammy, George," the list went on and one as she introduced me to everyone standing around. They quickly dispersed, almost disgusted by me.

"Did I do something wrong?" I asked Rebecca.

"No," she replied. "They just are annoyed that you missed yesterday and you still have your job." Great, not only did my boss hate me, but my coworkers did too. "So, like I was saying earlier before I got so rudely interrupted, I thought you and Jack would have, you know, gotten together."

I was surprised that that was what she was going to say earlier. "Together? As in like, gotten together? As in, together together?" she nodded her head, smiling widely. "Rebecca, Jack and I were just friends. Nothing like that would have happened if we would have stayed friends."

"Uh huh. I saw the way he used to look at you." I grabbed one of the turkey sandwiches from the tray, laughing at her. But she kept up the impossible. "C'mon, you can't tell me you never noticed it, because everyone else did."

I shoved the sandwich in my mouth, speaking again with a mouthful. "No, ya'll are crazy. He never thought anything of me like that."

"Okay. What ever you want to believe. Man, if I was back in Gotham, I would have tapped that." She grabbed a sandwich as I nudged her side. "So, I need your advice on something." I nodded my head, motioning her to continue. "I have two stories that I've written this past week. Keating wants one in the paper, but I want the other, because I feel its way better written. Should I go with the one I want? It would mean a better paper, but I would be going behind Keating, and god knows what will happen."

Asking me for advice? Don't I feel important? "I think you should go with your gut. I mean, either way, your piece will be posted in the paper. It just depends on the way you get it in there."

"Thanks." Was the last thing she said to me before I decided to go back to the scanning station.

When I finished the never ending stack, I glanced at my phone, groaning exhaustedly when I saw it read almost eight o'clock. My back hurt like crazy, and I struggled to keep my eyes open. Mr. Keating met me as I was about to exit the building.

"Good job today, Ms. Harding. I'll put the rest of the files by the computer tomorrow." He held the door open and we both stepped out. "Have a good night."

"You too Mr. Keating."

I made it back to the apartment in about ten minutes, so happy to be home. I was met by the Joker at my door. "Well…. I'm guessing you weren't fired. How was it?"

"Terrible. Worst day of my life." I rubbed my eyes, collapsing onto the couch. He sat down next to me. "I did nothing but scan papers for twelve hours. And guess what I'm going to be doing tomorrow? Stupid Crane, this is all his fault. If only I could get my hands on him for a couple of minutes."

His eyes lit up at my comment. "What would you do? Tell me, I'm curious."

I was in no mood for his games. As much as I would love to strangle the Scarecrow, I knew I would never be able to. "Nothing. I wouldn't do anything." I could see his disappointed as his smiling face scoured into a frown. I looked up into his unpainted face, remembering what Rebecca had said about him earlier today. I knew it wasn't true. But the thought of her wanting to 'tap that' made me laugh.

"What's so funny?" he questioned.

"I ran into an old friend today. It turns out my old roommate, Rebecca, is a journalist at the New York Times." I closed my eyes, leaning my head back against the edge. "We were talking about you, and she said, and I quote 'I would have tapped that'."

"Ha ha aha." He rose up and entered the kitchen. "She's a little to high class for me." He came back with a Chinese food container, handing to me.

"Oh thank God, I'm starving." I blurted and snatched it from him, cramming the noodles down my throat. I glanced over at him, noticing the stained hexagonal shirt he wore. If he had no other clothes, he must have been wearing them for at least four days. "Why don't you pop that shirt into the washer, it looks like crap."

"It's fine." He snapped, as if I had struck a nerve.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's just a shirt." I finished the food and set the carton down on the floor. "I just thought you might be more comfortable in a clean shirt is all."

He let out a loud sigh before unbuttoning his shirt. "Whatever you say, princess." He threw it at me, and I tossed it in the washing machine with a couple of clothes I had used previously in Gotham that I never got a chance to clean.

"Well, I'm going to bed. When the washer beeps, just put it in the dryer on high. I'll see you in the morning."

All I heard was a soft groan, and I closed the door. I changed into my pajamas, letting sleep meet me.

I woke up around six thirty, and I had even more time to prepare myself for the job. I took a shower, and put on another dress outfit that consisted of a long sleeve black blouse, and another pencil skirt.

I made sure I arrived early that morning. I was astounded by the amounts of manila folders that were stacked up by the main computer. They seemed to stretch to the ceiling. Mr. Keating told me I had to have them done by the end of the week if I wanted to keep my job.

* * *

I got into a regular routine for that week. Wake up, eat breakfast and get ready, arrive at work, scan documents, eat lunch, scan more documents, get home, eat dinner, make small talk with the Joker, and then go to bed.

I really enjoyed the people at the paper. They eventually opened up to me, and I even got to help some of them with their pieces. That was until Friday, when Mr. Keating called me into his office. I was almost done scanning all the documents, and I was hoping he had noticed as was going to raise my position.

I was giddy and ready for my first piece as I walked in. a stern look descended upon his face as he motioned me towards the chair. "Ms. Harding, there's something important that needs to be discussed with you." Oh boy how happy I was! I was so ready to begin writing I became antsy. "Ms. St. Germaine said she discussed with you the idea of replacing her story, yes?"

I nodded, "Yes sir." But what did that have to do with anything?

"Is it true that you told her she should replace the piece without my knowing?" his eyebrow twitched.

"No, that's not what I said…."

"Ms. St. Germaine claims that you knew what would happen if she switched them, and you told her to anyway."

"No, I didn't tell her….."

"But she was confused about what to do, and you told her to do something about it, yes?"

"Yes sir, but I….."

He rose from his desk, towering over my seated body. "Then I'm sorry Ms. Harding. You're fired."

**SexyJokerLovers:**** Dun, dun duh! What will happen next? Find out next week on, Never Let You Go! Don't forget to review!  
**


	12. Nothin But A Good Time

**SexyJokerLovers: ****So guys, I hope you all had an awesome Thanksgiving! For all you international readers out there, then I hope you had an awesome... rest of the week. It was brought to my attention that i might be writing the Joker too soft. So, from now on, I promise he will be more Joker-like!**

"I'm sorry Ms. Harding. You're fired." His voice rang throughout his office, sending a chill down my spine. I didn't think he could be serious. I was only there for four days. There was nothing I did wrong.

"Mr. Keating, I don't understand." I began to tremble as I tried to explain myself. "Rebecca is lying; she's blowing this whole thing out of proportion." All he did was shake his head in disapproval. "No, please, listen to me. I didn't tell her to go behind your back."

"That is not what Ms. St. Germaine proclaimed. And frankly my dear, I believe her because she has been here longer than you, and is one of my most trusted employees. You have only been here four days, failing to show up the first day, and now this! We cannot risk anything at our company, Ms. Harding. I'm not doing this on my behalf, but for the sake of the Times."

I was on the verge of tears, using as much strength as possible to hold them back. "Please, you can't do this. This is my dream job! My life's goal! All I want to do is write! Please just give me a chance, I beg of you! I need this job!" When I couldn't say any more, the tears came pouring down my cheeks.

"Oh, Ms. Harding it isn't that bad. I'm sure you'll get another job somewhere. I can write a recommendation for you if you'd like. I'll even leave out that you like to skip work."

I brought my hands to my face, scrambling to dry my eyes. "Don't bother. I'm not so pathetic that I can't get my own job. I hope this places burns in hell." I got up and left the room, not forgetting to slam the door on the way out. I was hurt, and mad, but I thought about who I was really mad at. Mr. Keating was only doing his job, however idiotic his decisions were, it wasn't his fault. The real person to blame was Rebecca. She was the one who lied to him. She lied and told him I was the one who pressured her to use her article. She was the reason I was loosing the best thing in the world.

As soon as I stormed out of his office, I was greeted at the entrance doors by none other than Rebecca. "Jillien, I'm so sorry, please let me explain."

I didn't even want to look at her. "You want to explain? Explain why you lied and just got me fired!" I burst through the doors, ignoring her as I made my way around the corner and to the parking lot.

"No, I didn't mean too. Jillien, I'm sorry!" she darted after me, but I continued to put space between us. "It's just that, I've had this job for so long, and I love it so much..."

I stopped dead in my tracks, trying to control all my anger. "And because I've only been here a couple of days, I don't deserve to be here as much as you? That's total BS, you know that?"

She moved in front of me, her blond hair bouncing mockingly in my face. "You don't understand. You could get another job easily. I've got such bad luck when it comes to things like that. How I landed this job, I will never know."

It took everything I had to not slap her across the face. "Look, I thought we were friends, but I was wrong. Now get out of my way." She didn't move, and I angrily tore past her, slamming our shoulders together.

"I'm so sorry."

I stopped for the last time, only turning my head slightly so that I could see her out of the corner of my eye. "You can burn along with this hell hole."

And with that last note, I left, knowing I would never ever come back. I was pathetic. I wanted so badly to punch something, but I decided against it, and drove home.

Lucky for the both of us the Joker wasn't around. I could honestly care less what he was up to, but for his sake, I was glad he wasn't there to see my freak out. My mind was racing, and before I could think, I thrust almost everything I owned onto the floor. I couldn't contain my anger any longer, kicking and punching anything and everything in site. If any of my neighbors were home, they probably thought someone was robbing my apartment.

I was flooding the floor with my tears, and huddled in the corner of the living room, holding myself in a ball. The apartment was a mess, papers, folders, and anything else scattered along the floors. I was an emotional wreck, not knowing what I was going to do next.

I was completely crushed; my dreams of being at the New York Times were flushed down the toilet along with the rest of my career. It would be permanently on my record that I was fired from the Times, which could possibly mean that I would never get another job as long as I lived. Think about it: one of the biggest companies in the world fired you. If another company saw this, they would follow their example and not hire you.

It was all Rebecca's fault. I didn't care that she was a previous roommate and friend, what she did was unforgivable, and I wanted her head on a plate. Not that I would do that to her though.

I think I sat alone on the cold wooden floor for about thirty minutes before I decided to act. I went all around New York, almost like sight seeing, but not for my enjoyment. I looked at my watch, seeing it was already ten p.m.

And what I did next shocked even myself.

* * *

She sat alone at a bar that was located across the street from her apartment, contemplating what to get. It was an irrational decision to come here, and she knew it. She hadn't had a drink in over six years, and she quit because she always ended up saying something or doing something stupid, and it always ended up badly affecting her and the people around her.

But this time was different. She needed an escape from the world for as long as possible, and nothing was going to stop her. She didn't care about what was going to happen, because she could just deal with it later.

"Are you going to order something or not, sweetheart?" the guy's voice rang out from behind the bar. He had been observing her this whole time, waiting for her to make up her mind and order something.

Her eyes darted around to all the containers of alcohol, trying to decide which one to take. "Give me the strongest one you have."

"I don't know if you'll be able to handle it. Maybe we should start you out with a beer or something." She only glared at him with daggers, as if she would kill him if he didn't bring out what she wanted. He got the message, and handed her a shot glass, and filled it with Everclear, the strongest drink in the place. It was 95% alcohol, and he knew whatever bug was up her butt would disperse within the first shot.

She held the drink in her hands, hesitating only for a moment before bringing the glass to her mouth. The liquid poured into her mouth and slid down her throat, leaving a fiery trail into her stomach. She slammed the shot glass down on the counter, coughing and hacking from the burning sensation that engulfed her throat. But once it subsided, she could feel her senses dulling, and the effects from the drink began to set in.

"Give me another." She shoved the glass in the guy's face, begging him to help her out. Once the shot was filled, she slammed it into her mouth, the burning feeling returning, but only for a little while. Within minutes, the two shots she had taken had completely taken over her. She felt light as air, as if she could do anything. All her pain decreased, and she was giddy as she pushed the glass towards him again. "One more!" she said in a sing song voice.

He did as she asked and proceeded to pour her one more. She gulped it down; ignoring the irritating feeling it gave her. Now she was at peace with herself and the world. She felt bubbly and optimistic, giggling at nothing as she sat at the bar.

It was nearly twelve o'clock, and the guy behind the bar was closing down early today. "Hey, I hope you have a ride, cause I'll be closing up in about a couple minutes."

Of course she didn't have a ride, but that was fine because she lived right across the street. "Aw, but the party's just started." She looked down at his nametag. "C'mon, Joe!"

He merely shrugged her off as she began to laugh erratically. This girl was something, that's for sure, and he wondered why a girl like her would end up here, drinking to satisfy herself.

Just then, the door to the bar swung open, the bell ringing wildly as a tall man with hunched shoulders strolled in. The guy was freaky looking, wearing all purple, and his face all painted up like a clown. "Hey, sorry there, clown-boy. We're closed."

Jill, was unfazed by the fact that the Joker had just walked in. She was too intoxicated to even remember him. "Hey, you look really familiar. Do I know you?"

The Joker stood in front of the door, pulling out a revolver. He pointed it at the man behind the counter, and before he had time to react, the Joker pulled the trigger, sending the man to the ground.

The fact that he had just killed a man did not sink in to Jill's head. "Hey! Why would you do that! Now who's supposed to get me another drink?"

The Joker sat next to her, placing his hands on the counter. "Just what do you think you're doing, Jill?" He was surprised she had come here, but after seeing the mess in her apartment, he knew something was up, and that this might have just been her last resort.

She was amazed that this man knew her name, and she thought it was interesting how he painted his face. "How do you know my name?" She asked inquisitively. She moved in closer to him, trying to get a better look. It all came swirling back to her in bits and pieces. "Oh wait, I know you, Mr. Joker-pants." She touched his face roughly, but he pushed her away. She gazed at the white and red smeared paint on her hands, and gapped her mouth open in awe. "What!? You put on your make up? Whoa! I was beginning to miss it you know."

The Joker sat there amazed at how intoxicated she was. He hadn't seen her like this in years. He didn't like it, but he started to find her amusing after a while. He wondered what she would say next. "Why are you here?" he questioned. He had a theory, but he needed an answer.

She only smiled and messily rubbed her face. "Oh, it's a funny story, you're going to laugh so hard you'll pee your pants!" he placed his hands in his lap as she began to tell her tale. "So, this is so funny! You know that job I just got. You know the one? Well, some lying little she devil thought it would be nice to ruin my life. So, she got me fired! Isn't that great?" she began laughing uncontrollably and only made herself look even more like a fool when she stopped. "What's so funny?"

The Joker only shook his head in disapproval, both excited and disappointed at the same time. He was trilled that she had gotten fired, because this would mean that she might forget all about stupid New York and come back to Gotham. But he was also aggravated that they had made her resort to this. He was going to help her, in a way that would be fun for the both of them.

Jill held her hands up in the air, waving them idiotically. "I don't wanna talk about those _losers_ anymore. Let's go do something…. Something, fun!"

An evil smirk formed on his face when he heard this. He knew exactly what they were going to do.

She moved away from the bar, excited that they were going to do something fun. She was extremely wobbly as she tried standing up. But as soon as her legs hit the floor, she toppled over from the weight she had put on her legs. "Whoa, who replaced the floor with jell-o?"

The Joker helped her up, slinging one of her arms over his shoulder. "Bye Joe!" she exclaimed as they made their way out the door. Her car was parked alongside the building, and she pulled the keys out of her pocket, handing them to the Joker. "Here, I don't think I'll be ready to drive for quite some time." He helped her into the passenger's side before climbing in the front seat. "So, where we going, buddy?"

Another frightening grin spread across his face as he licked his lips. "Oh, you'll see. And I can assure you, that it will be worth your wild." His laughter pierced her ears, and before she knew it, she was joining in on his chaotic chortle.

She was eerily calm as they sped throughout the New York streets. Normally his reckless driving would have scared her, but in her drunken state, it only made her more excited. She studied his face, looking over the black and white, before her eyes landed on the messily covered red scars. She leaned over to him, trying to get a better look at the gruesome cuts. Her hand shot up, gently caressing the right scar.

He didn't move her hand away, almost enjoying the touch of her fingers to his caked up face. "Do you want to know a secret?" she giggled. He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, but he really was curious as to watch she had to say. "I actually think your scars are nice. I didn't at first, but now, now that I'm used to seeing them, I think they're cute." She lightly poked his scar. "You wouldn't be you without them!" she trailed off giggling.

He merely scoffed in her face. His scars, cute? Only a drunk would say that. And look who he was talking too. Most of what she was saying probably was just her disoriented mind playing with her.

When they reached their destination, both quickly jumped out of the car. Jill was steadier now, and could manage to keep her balance. She was surprised, even in her drunken stupor, to find herself staring up at the New York Times. The amusement had drained from her face, and the resentment toward the place came flooding back to her.

She bound toward the building, stopping in the middle of the street. No cars were around thankfully, or she would have been flattened like a pancake. The anger swelled up inside of her, and she began to slip off both of her black pumps. Hatred fueling her, she tossed her shoes in the direction of the building, one missing by a couple of feet, and one going in the complete opposite direction. The Joker only sat on the hood of her car, cracking up at her pathetic attempts to attack the building.

She slumped down in the middle of the street, laughing as a couple of cars tried to navigate past her. The joker cracked his neck before pulling out a detonator from his coat pocket. He merrily skipped over to her, humming a random tune that popped into his head.

He stood above her, gazing down at her crazy brown hair that was flying every where. He dropped the small device in front of her, careful not to hit the button. Her eyes flew open, gazing at what lay before her. "Ooh, what does this button do?"

"Do you really want to know what it does?" he asked, stroking his scars. She nodded and he explained, placing his hands on her shoulders. "You see, it can make all your pain go away. One press of this button, and boom, gone." Her smile brightened, and reached out for the detonator. But before she could take it, the Joker snatched it from off of the ground. "Ah ta ta ta ta. I think…. This might just be too much power for you Jill. You better let me do it."

She was disappointed that he wasn't going to let her press the button, and sprang up to face him. "No, let me do it! Please? I won't mess it up I promise!" she gave him an awkward looking puppy dog pout, hoping she would wrap around his finger.

He smiled widely at her, biting his bottom lip. "Fine you can press it, but I still have to hold it." She giggled and jumped in the air. He turned her around to face the building, pulling his arms around her so that both of their hands were firmly placed on the device. He held the detonator in his left hand, and grabbed her right hand in his, holding it above the button. "And, here. We. Go." He slammed her hand against it, watching her eyes light up as the building before her blew up in flames.

She chuckled lightly, brushing him off of her so she could get a better view of the blazes burning in front of her. She strode to it, meeting the hot ash as it hit her in the face. She was glad this stinking hell hole was disintegrating. It made her feel calm, and it made her happy that it wasn't going to be around anymore to ruin peoples' lives. She was mainly overjoyed knowing that Rebecca wasn't going to be able to come back to it.

As soon as she heard the distant sounds of fire trucks and squad cars, she stumbled back to the car, alongside the Joker. He was very pleased at what had just unfolded, and surprised that she had enough guts to detonate the bombs.

He started the engine and flew from the flames, quickly navigating around the New York streets. They came to a halt when the car reached her apartment. Neither of them moved from the car, and Jill dared to speak first. "You know what? I need to get away from here for a while. Let's take a drive. Let's go someplace. Someplace, nice. A place like…. Gotham. Let's go back to Gotham for a while."

He only stared at her like she was crazy. She hated Gotham with every fiber of her being. She was only saying she wanted to go back because of how much she had to drink tonight. But he was none to argue. He had missed Gotham too, and in fact needed to catch up in the mob's plans.

She didn't need anything or want to delay, and urged him to drive on. He silently drove away, amused by how funny Jill was in her state. She had never been like this before, but he liked it.

She leaned her head against the window and was beginning to nod off when something "important" popped into her head. "Hey, you know what I've never told anyone before? Even you?"

He turned to her, watching curiously as she closed her eyes. "What?"

He tilted her head in his direction, her eyes still closed. "I've always thought, that you were handsome, you know?" she drunkenly brought her hand up to his face, stroking his scar, before brushing her fingers through his hair. "Even with the scars, you'd steal beat out Johnny Depp in my book." He opened his mouth to speak, but she laid her finger upon the gaping hole. "Shuuuuuussshhh. Don't tell the Joker." She laid her head back against the window and removed her hand from his mouth. Within a couple of seconds she was fast asleep.

The Joker sat there with an evil smirk upon his contorted face. Surely it was the alcohol talking. Or was it?

**SexyJokerLovers: ****So, sorry this chapter is extremely short! I thought it would have been longer, but it gets the point across good so I think it's fine. Don't forget to review please!**


	13. Gotham, How I've Missed You

**SexyJokerLovers: Hey guys, another quick update. I hope you like my last chapter. I can assure you things are about to get way better in my story. I would like to thank Smiele for all your wonderful reviews! You have no idea how happy I get when I read them!**_  
_

_Standing at the foot of her doorway stood a man dressed in all black, with a black fedora a top his head, concealing his face. His shoulders were hunched, and he glared at the girl on the couch before him. She didn't hear him come in as she lay asleep with the television on, the remote still in her hand. He crossed over to her, a huge grin beginning to form at the corners of his mouth. He looked over at his girl with a wild gleam in his eyes. He crouched down, leaning into her face. She awoke when his hot breath pressed against her nose._

_She jumped at the sight of the mysterious man in her apartment, squealing when she caught sight of hid face. It had been slashed greatly, forming a frightening grin. She was appalled by his carved features, which hid only for a moment who he really was. She gaped her mouth so much that the edges of her lips began to hurt. Seeing Jack in front of her with two tissue ripping scars made her want to scream. She opened her mouth to, but he cut her off by smashing his hand to her face. She let out a screech from underneath his grip, but he didn't release her._

"_Hey, hey! Sh, sh, sh! Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you." He pleaded with her, finally removing his hand from her face. "Don't speak, just listen."_

_She reached out to feel the scars, but he thrust her hands into her chest, holding them there as he spoke. "I have to leave. Don't expect to see me again. I can't stay in Gotham."_

"_What are you talking about? You can't leave Jack."_

"_I said just listen to me!" He screamed, truly terrifying her. "I. Can't. Stay. Here." He stood up from her, cramming to the door. "Sorry this is the way it has to be, but I can't be here anymore. I hope you can forgive me."_

"_Jack, no you don't have to do this. Please, stay with me!"_

_He reached out to here, closing her eyes. "Keep them closed for a while. I'm going to tell you a story. A story about a young boy who was an idiot. He got himself killed a while back because he was pathetic. Now, open your eyes."_

_She did as she was told, gazing at the man before her. His appearance changed dramatically. His dirty blond hair was now a sickly greenish color, he wore a purple suit, and his face was covered with white, black, and red face paint. "Jack, what's going on…."_

_She was shut up once a hard metal object slammed into the back of her head. She collapsed to the floor, feeling her breath get caught in her throat. "Jack, wait!" she was hit again by what looked like a metal pipe. "Jack….. Jack…." She grew weak, softly speaking his name as her eyes eerily closed._

Another nightmare. I awoke with a pounding in my skull, as if a ton of bricks were being thrashed upon my brain. I opened my eyes to the brightest light I'd ever seen, and my stomach threatened to jump out through my throat.

"Hey." A loud voice rattled my head. I clasped my hands over my ears, trying to block out the sound. Muffled, I could hear, "Someone's finally awake. I'm surprised you haven't thrown up yet."

My brain was threatening to burst from my skull, and I clutched my stomach as soon as he mentioned the word throw up. "God, you have the loudest voice in the history of loud voices." I crossed my arms over my eyes, trying to prevent the harsh sunlight from attacking my eyes. "What happened last night? Why are we in my car? Where are we?" I looked around, noticing we weren't moving. We were at some gas station somewhere that seemed too familiar.

"Sh sh sh sh. Easy with all the questions, Sleeping Bea-u-ty." Once again his voice pounded my head. "Here." He pulled out a bottle of Advil, tossing it to me. I took two, thankful for the medication. "Now, one question at a time prin-cess."

"Where are we?"

"Oh, we're home." He snickered. "How I've missed that…. Fresh Gotham air."

Gotham? We were in Gotham? "Why are we in Gotham? Why did you bring me here?"

"At ta ta. One question at a time."

I was too confused to even think clearly. "Okay, why are we in Gotham?"

He flashed a huge grin before smacking his lips together. "You uh asked me to bring you back here. Now, don't get mad at me, because you asked me to bring you back here."

There was no way I asked him to bring me here. Or did I? "Why did I want to come back here?"

"Don't ask me," he brushed his hair back. "I don't know what goes on in that pretty little head of yours. Especially when you've had too much to drink."

For some odd reason, I was actually okay with being in Gotham. I needed a break from New York; even if I was only there about a week. "Oh god, what happened last night? I remember walking into the bar and ordering a drink, and then the rest is just a huge blur." I mustered up enough energy to move around, and stretched out my limbs. I took a quick glance at him, noticing most of his paint was fading, and the green dye was slowly seeping from his hair, his dirty blond strands daring to pop out.

"Ha, ha, ha, ha." He chuckled way too loud. "Let's just say, you had a blast." He crazily giggled to himself, making me fear something terrible had happened. "Oh, you shouldn't dwell on the past, you know. You didn't really do anything anyway. You just fell over a couple of _Times, _and that was it."

There had to be more than he was telling me. I know I was drunk, but I don't see why I would randomly want to come back to Gotham. "There's something else you're not telling me." Nothing else was said from him as he moved to my car's radio. After a couple minutes of searching, he landed on a station, one that sounded like a news station, and I couldn't help but wonder why. "What are you doing?"

"Sh sh sh!" he pressed his ear to the speaker, as if something important was going to be said and it couldn't wait. There was nothing but static for some time, until a woman's voice popped in out of no where.

"It's time for an update on the New York Times bombing." As soon as I heard those words, my mind went spinning. I could see an evil smirk forming on the Joker's mouth, which caused my stomach to churn. I could feel the acids gnawing away at my throat, and I rushed out of the car and behind a tree that was only a few feet away. My stomach up heaved, and all contents that were previously there lay scattered along the ground. It seemed like hours, but I finally stopped puking. I was coughing up a storm as I wiped the residue away from my mouth, and made my way back to the car.

I was hoping it wasn't true. Or, maybe I wanted it to be true, but not my fault. I didn't know. I felt bad that it might be gone forever, but I also felt content in the fact that maybe, just maybe, something good was going to come out of it. Well, for me anyway. As soon as I sat back in the car, a bottle of water was shoved in my face. I took it and gargled some of it in my mouth before spitting it out onto the ground. I thirstily gulped half of the water down, wanting as much of it in my stomach to help me out as possible.

"Thanks." I muttered, still being able to taste the vomit. "The Times, blew up? How? Just please tell me it wasn't me."

"Oh don't worry tiger, you're squeaky clean." He claimed as he patted the top of my head. "I did al the dirty work." I was ecstatic to hear that. It was okay now, knowing that it was him and not me.

"But, how did you know? I never said anything about me getting fired…"

He cut me off by clearing his throat. "Let's just say that I have a uh…. Sixth sense." He clicked his tongue twice before continuing. "I know when something is troubling you. I mean…. You just can't hide a big freak out like that Jill. Then, I make it my business, to see to it that all those, little…. _problems_, are gone."

I couldn't believe that I was actually getting a little choked up on the inside about what he was saying. I didn't care how he did it, but he wanted to help solve my problems. It showed that he really did care, and it brought a sincere smile to my face. Jeez, I really was crazy.

"Well, what now?" I checked my phone, which had almost a dead battery, and saw that it was almost ten o'clock.

He did one of those comical checking his wrist things even though there was no watch there, which made me laugh. "I have a previous, engagement I need to get to…. ac-tu-al-ly. And I need to leave. You know, a Joker's work is never done. Will you be able to drive?"

"Um, yeah I think I might be able to." Well, I definitely needed some time to be alone for a while. Hangovers were not my thing. I normally got irritable, and people couldn't stand to be around me. And I needed a shower because I smelled like crap. "I think I'm going to go rent a hotel or something, if you need me, just give me a ring." He hopped out and I slid over to the driver's side. I looked around, thankful that there was no one here to witness us together. I don't know what people would think if they did.

I put my hands at ten and two, trying to maneuver my casted hand along the steering wheel. When I felt I could get it, I spun off in a hurry, watching in my rear view mirror as the Joker disappeared.

I came to a small hotel smack dab in the center of Gotham; it was cheap, and I checked in, saying I was going to be there for three days. As soon as I got into my room, I stripped and got into the shower. Complementary shampoo and conditioner was there that smelled like apples and cream, and I washed out some of the dried vomit that I hadn't noticed got into my hair before.

As soon as I finished, I changed back into my previous outfit, which smelled faintly of alcohol and smoke. Drunken me must not have wanted to take spare clothes along. Great. But luckily I always kept an extra shirt, some jeans and a pair of black flats in the trunk of my car. I hurriedly rushed down to get them, and put my phone on the car charger I kept in the glove compartment.

I freshened up, changing into my totally drab wear, and pulling my hair into a ponytail because I didn't have a brush. It was about eleven o'clock, and I was getting hungry. I decided to go downtown, and found a small café, Café Ole, that I sometimes found myself visiting.

I only had five bucks on me, so I bought a B.L.T, and a cup of peach tea, glad that there was almost no one in the café. I really didn't want to deal with the hustle and bustle of people. I gazed out the window, at the peaceful streets of Gotham. It actually looked nice. Everyone was smiling and care free, like nothing could go wrong. They must have all calmed down since the Joker hadn't struck within the past week that I knew of. I dare say that Gotham was kind of beautiful this time of year; it starts to get cold, and people just become so lively. December was always my favorite time to be in Gotham.

My thoughts were interrupted by a tall man in a suit that stood beside me. "Jillien Harding, long time no see."

I looked up into the sparkling eyes of none other than the billionaire playboy, Bruce Wayne. "Bruce, long time no see." I used to talk to Bruce Wayne back in ninth and tenth grade, before he left and went to some prestigious boarding school. We were friends, but not close or anything. He looked good. About as good as you can get after the Joker kills your one true love. Everyone knew he had a thing for Rachel Dawes.

"What are you doing back here? Didn't you get some fancy pantsy job at the New York times?" he sat down in the seat at the other side of my table. "And what happened with the Times last night? I heard some fire erupted in the building."

"Oh, yeah, sometime last night, something happened, and the whole place exploded." I tried to put on a worried expression to hide my amusement. "I don't know what happened. I was in Gotham when I got the call… and….." I thought it might be best if I left out that they had fired me that same day, for it could cause some suspicion.

I could see concern fill his eyes. "That's terrible. I'm so sorry." Ha ha. I held in a smirk. "So, then you must be in town for the big Winter Ball tonight. It's going to be pretty spectacular. The host this year has really outdone himself."

"Actually this was a, spontaneous trip. I didn't realize the ball was tonight, and I usually never go." All the years I've been asked to go, it was as a reporter and not a guest, and I wanted to enjoy myself there, not have to work.

"You know, my date just cancelled at the last minute. I would be honored if a journalist from the New York Times would accompany me. It would be a fun time to catch up with one another."

"I don't know Bruce; I don't think balls are really my thing. Plus I don't have anything to wear." And I really didn't have any money to buy it with. Everything I would need for this occasion was back home in New York.

I watched as he reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a small note pad. "Nonsense, I'll pick you out something nice, and have it sent to where ever you're staying."

"Bruce, I don't know you well enough to have you do something like that for me."

"Oh but I insist. Plus, this might get you out there more. You might get better acclaim as a writer." He scribbled some words down on the note pad before handing it to me. "Just give me your measurements and where you'll be staying and I'll have something sent over to you within a couple of hours."

"Okay, okay. I'll go. But I won't promise you I'll have a good time, and you have to find something that will match this." I held up my cast.

"What did you do?"

"Car accident." I scribbled own my sizes, the hotel, and my room number. Secretly, I was a bit excited. It would help me get my mind off of things. "Well, I need to be going." Truly I had no where to be, it's just that a familiar headache was starting to creep upon me, and I needed to take care of it before I became the wicked witch of the east.

"Well, I'll see you tonight at eight. I'll have a car brought out for you in the front of the hotel." I stood up to leave, and he grabbed my hand, clasping it within his.

"See you tonight Bruce."

I grabbed the sandwich and the cup of tea and drove to the hotel. When I got into my room, I took a few Advil, and crawled into bed. I took a long power nap until a knock on the door woke me up. I glanced at the clock, seeing it was around four.

I stumbled to the door, brushing away my bed head hair. A bellhop held a long black bag in his arms as I opened it. "From a Mr. Wayne." He carefully handed it to me and I thanked him before shutting him out. I went back to the sloppy bed and fixed the sheets before laying the bag on the bed. I unzipped it, and the view was breath taking. It was a gorgeous deep purple dress (perfectly matching the cast), that was high in the front, reaching just above my knees, and low in the back, almost reaching the floor. The top was a beaded heart-shaped bust line, with thick straps that fell down my shoulders. Bruce really had outdone himself.

* * *

It was almost time for the ball, and I hadn't received any word from the Joker. That was to be expected. What ever he was planning on doing, I didn't want to be a part of it.

The dress alone made me look quite exquisite, and I was so thankful I had taken the stitches out of my arms earlier in the week. Sure there were small scars, but nothing too noticeable. There wasn't much I could do make up wise, but I found a tube of ruby red lipstick underneath one of the seats in my car, and put that on. For my Hair, since I didn't have a brush, I did the best with what I had and twisted it into a bun in the back. I wore my black flats, since they were the only shoes I had.

It was completely dark outside as I spotted Bruce standing outside of a limousine. That completely caught me off guard. I didn't think this night was so important that it required a limo. But hey, if you're Bruce Wayne, you probably wouldn't have expected any less.

"You look magnificent." He commented, holding the door open for me.

"Thanks, you don't look half bad yourself." His hair was combed back, and he wore a very expensive looking black suit. He hopped in after me, and the driver proceeded to the ball.

It didn't take long to get there, and as soon as we got out of the limo, dozens of photographers pounced on us. Bruce quickly sent them away, bribing them might I add, and led me into the ballroom. The place was immaculate. White and black tables, with diamond chandeliers, and crystal champagne flutes. Everyone was dressed to impress; the girls in marvelous gowns and the guys in pressed suits.

"Now Bruce," one man spoke out, quieting the crowd. "The host isn't supposed to be late for his own event." Everyone in the room laughed, including me.

"Well, thank you all for starting without me." He shoved his hands into his pockets and continued. "Please, eat, drink, and have fun"

I turned back to him, nudging him in the ribs lightly. "Well, Mr. Host. If I knew how spectacular this shindig was going to be, I would have actually showed up in previous years. Really, it looks amazing."

"Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to make the rounds. You're welcome to join me."

"No, these are your guests, not mine. I think I'll just wander around a bit. But, you have to save the first dance for me." I chuckled as he started walking away.

"Oh, most definitely."

It was really nice to be here catching up with someone from a while back. It made me realize how many friends I had before I sealed myself from the rest of the world. It felt good not to have to worry about some bad thing the Joker was planning to do for a day.

A waiter approached me with a flute of champagne, and I respectfully declined. I was still a bit hung over, and I didn't want any more alcohol in my system. Nothing good would ever come out of me drunk in front of Gotham's high class.

A finger suddenly tapped my shoulder, and I turned around to see a familiar Africa-American woman about my age. I got a better look at her in the light, and saw that it was another friend from high school, Miranda Johnson. I hadn't seen her in about eight years. "That cannot be Miranda Johnson! I haven't seen you in forever! How have you been?"

"Jillien, I've been good. How have you been?" she linked her arm around mine, and we roamed around the ballroom, reminiscing in our pasts since we've seen each other. We talked about the New York Times, her job as a culinary chef at Bruce Wayne's hotel, and of course she brought up Jack.

I told her that I hadn't talked to him in four years, which seemed to sadden her. "Really, that's too bad. I would have thought that you guys would have ended up together or something."

"Oh, you don't say?" I merely laughed at it. But I was shocked that yet another person had thought that of me and Jack. We were just friends, nothing like that would have ever happened.

When we finished catching up, I left to go freshen up. But not before she made me promise that we would have lunch together before I headed back to the Big Apple.

It took me a while to locate the bathrooms because of the size of this place; I had to travel through a maze of hallways to find it. I ran the cold water and splashed it in my face before stepping out into the hallway. I gripped the handle of one of the doors I had come through minutes before.

* * *

Outside the ballroom, everyone that was cramming to get a picture of the acclaimed royalty of Gotham was gone now, and the rest of the streets were deserted, just the way the Joker liked it.

He was feeling lucky tonight, and hadn't had a _good_ plan to do anything fun in a while. What better place to ensue chaos than Bruce Wayne's Winter Ball? He was hoping to satisfy an irritating itch tonight and scare all the rich snobs senseless. The night was going to all go according to plan. Waste a couple of bullets, threaten some lives, take a few hostages, and "accidentally" spill a couple gallons of gasoline around the place. He had completely forgotten about Jill when he spontaneously decided to attend the party.

He and seven of his men, all wearing their signature clown masks, entered the building. The security guard at the front saw them coming, but before he could act, was shot in the chest. They slipped in quietly after that.

As soon as the Joker set foot in the ballroom, his gun rang through the air, catching the attention of all the lovely party goers. Everyone's breath caught in their throats, and what were once sounds of laughter, became screams of fear. The Joker relished in every second of it.

"Good evening ladies and gentle-men." He grabbed a piece of shrimp from off a nearby cart, and tossed it in his mouth. "How's everyone doing tonight?" he asked with a mouthful. He looked over at a woman with a horrified expression, as if she had just witnessed him brutally cut someone to pieces. "What's the matter? I haven't even done anything yet."

He staggered toward her, and a brave Bruce Wayne stepped forward from out of the crowd, hopping to stop the madness. "What do you want Joker?"

He only gave Bruce a questioning look, as if to say, "Are You stupid?" and spun back to the frightened woman. She had nothing to fear…. yet. He flicked out his knife and began to advance on her when Bruce spoke again, interrupting his fun.

"Look Joker, we have done nothing here to disturb you. Please leave."

"Oh but Brucey, I think you have." He left his place from the woman and moved towards Bruce. "I don't remember getting _my _invitation to your little party Mr. Wayne. Did it get lost in the mail?"

Since she traveled so far to find the bathroom, Jill had no idea what was going on out in the ballroom.

* * *

I grabbed the handle of the door, ready to get back to the party, but when I pulled on it, the door wouldn't budge. "Okay, not cool." I tried again, yanking harder than before. "Okay this isn't funny."

After minutes of endless pulling, I walked down the rest of the hallway, finding another door. I grabbed the handle and tried to pry it open, but it wouldn't move either. "Okay, are all the doors locked?" I nervously spoke to myself. I jiggled the door handle harder and harder as the minutes passed. I grew even more nervous, and began to call out, hoping someone was nearby and could help me.

"Hello?! Hello?! Someone! Please?!"

* * *

But no one at the party could hear her as they watched silently at the exchanges between Bruce Wayne and the Joker.

"You have no business being here Joker." Bruce stood tall, no once of fear in him. Well the Joker was going to change that.

"Okay boys, let's show em' what fun really looks like!" the Joker screeched, and his masked men each grabbed a container of gas, dumping it all around the building. The shrieks from the scared men and women filled the room, and it only fueled the Joker even more. He pulled a match out of his coat pocket, lighting it, and dangled the flame in the air, taunting everyone. "C'mon boys, out the back!" the guys did as they were told and exited behind him, the way Jill had gone. The Joker waved goodbye to all the partiers as he pushed the door open, dropping the match.

* * *

I had seen no one coming through either door, and I started to get worried. That's when I started to smell the smoke. I looked through the small windows, taken a back from the large clouds of smoke that engulfed the building.

"Oh God, is someone out there?" I kept repeating. "Please, someone help me!" but no one came. Smoke then began filling the hallway where I was trapped, and entered my lungs. Coughing, I looked out the window once more, flames beginning to engulf the door. I backed as far away as I could, to the wall farthest from the door. I crouched low to the ground, but the smoke completely clouded my vision, until all I saw was black.

"Please! Someone help me!" was the last thing I could scream with the smoke filling my lungs. I tried to prevent it by pulling the hem of the dress up over my mouth and nose, but I kept inhaling it. I felt like I was going to vomit when the flames started spreading to the walls around me.

A watched defenselessly as the ceiling began to crumble before it fell, completely crushing me. I screamed one last time with every ounce of energy I had before everything faded to black.

* * *

The Joker snapped his head around. He had heard something. He and his men were still inside the building, about to make their escape when he thought he heard a scream.

He turned to one of his buffoons. "Did you hear that?"

"No boss. Didn't hear nothing."

**SexyJokerLovers:**** This chapter was so much fun to write! Gah, I loved it! Not to be bias or anything. So, you should tell me what you think and click the little review button below.**


	14. Jack, I'll Never Let Go

**SexyJokerLovers: **** So guys, how was ya'lls weekends? Mine was bo-ring! Well, here's chapter 14.**

There it was again. Yep, that was definitely a scream. Accompanied by a sound of falling debris. And the dummy in front of him hadn't heard it the first time? Yeah right. Flames were continuing to burn from all around him, but he didn't care as he shot the man down. Everyone else had the common sense to leave the building when they saw this. "You know, I really hate li-ars." He spoke to the dead man before him, which only made him chuckle because he couldn't talk back.

The fact that smoke was pursuing him didn't faze the Joker. He wanted to locate the sound of that screaming. It made him smile just thinking he might actually get to take a hostage after all.

He followed along the long hallways, down to where he thought he heard the cry. The walls around him had started to disintegrate, breaking and peeling off. He was always so fascinated about how fast a fire could spread, and the effect it had. _Everything burns._

He pushed open a couple of doors, and stumbled upon a pile of debris that had collapsed from the ceiling. Underneath he could barely make out a matted mess of brown hair. He could tell it was a woman, but not who. He secretly hoped it was that eccentric woman from the party, so he could show her what fear really was.

Flames danced behind her, creeping up to her body. He thought about just leaving her there to burn, but something told him to help her. Then a vision came into his mind. He could see the two of them on the news together; her tied up of course, begging for him to let her go. It would catch the attention of a certain someone, specifically meaning Jill. How fun it would be to watch her squirm because he was with this woman when he should have been with her.

He snapped back to reality, remembering that he was still in a burning building that could collapse at any second. Sweat began dripping madly from his face as he hurriedly removed the debris from the young lady. She was facing the ground, and he turned her limp body around so he could get a good look at her face. He couldn't see much, with all the soot that covered it, but a familiar purple cast on her right arm caught his attention. He looked over at her face once more….. it couldn't be….. but alas, underneath the black smoke that had accumulated on her face, he could see who it really was. And it startled him, but only for a moment.

He suddenly grew very annoyed that she had come tonight. "You have to ruin all my plans…. Don't you Jill?" he picked up her small body and roughly tossed her over his shoulder. "Always there when trouble strikes huh? That puts a smile on my face." He talked to her as if she wasn't unconscious or draped over him.

The inhalation of all the smoke seemed to have no effect on him as he simply walked through the flames. It wasn't until he got close to the back exit that something stopped him. The sound of splitting wood came, and a flaming beam from the ceiling pounced on top of them. With insanely fact reflexes, he threw Jill from him before the beam could strike. It surprised even himself at how fast he moved. But he, unfortunately, was caught under it's immense power. It landed on his shoulder, and the fire from it burned through his layers of clothing until it reached his skin. The burning of flesh began to fill the air when he thrust the beam off of him, quickly returning back to getting Jill out of there. Luckily, nothing was around her when she was thrown to the ground.

He plucked her up and threw her over his shoulder one more time, which caused a pain to shoot through his arm as she brushed against it. He could handle it though. He could handle anything. "Oh the things I do for you!" he once again talked to her unconscious body.

Once he was out of the burning building, the six of his men were anxiously waiting for him. They didn't say a word as the Joker stumbled outside with a woman across his shoulder. One man hastily opened the door to their black van, and the Joker plopped Jill down on the seat. He climbed in after, resting his body in the space between the driver's seat and the middle one. Jonathan and another guy were in the front, while the rest tried to pile in over top of the Joker.

"Ata ta ta ta boys." He grabbed one guy by the scruff of his collar, shoving him out of the van. "You're going to have to catch the next one." He slammed the door shut, and returned his attention to Jill. She would have looked stunning in her dress if it and her body weren't blackened. "Take me home!" he ordered his men. He looked down at his shoulder, the pain starting to grow with each passing second. He could see where the beam had burned through his favorite suit and charred his arm. The burn was huge; it spread from the top of his right shoulder to the middle of his bicep. But, he would be okay.

It was her that he was worried about. He wanted to know why she was even there, and how she got trapped underneath that rubble. Boy was she going to owe him big time. Again. He looked over her once more, trying to figure out if she had been wounded. His eyes darted from the top of her head to her eyes, to her mouth and down her neck. He followed the trail down to the top of her chest, where he saw…. nothing. No movement what so ever. She wasn't breathing.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!" he let out a loud growl that shook the entire van. He had no time for this, no time for this at all. He placed two fingers at the side of her neck under her chin and felt….. nothing. Once again there was no movement. He went into panic mode, climbing on top of her and shaking her widely. But she wasn't waking up. He knew some CPR, and rolled up his sleeves before placing them on top of each other on her chest. With swift movements, he pushed down, trying to revive her. With each blow, her body jerked upward, but it wasn't working.

"Hospital, now!" she needed medical attention. Jonathan spun around faster than could be humanly possible, narrowly missing dozens of cars as he sped through the busy Gotham streets. "Why does everything have to happen to me?" The Joker stopped the procedure when it didn't look like it was working. But there was one more thing he could do. He didn't know how she would take it, but it might be the key thing in saving her life. He did what was necessary, pinching her nose and tilting her head back. He placed his lips on top of hers, and blew, sending air deep into her lungs. He placed his ear to her chest and still felt nothing. He continued to give her the kiss of life until she stirred suddenly, coughing and sputtering. Her eyes never opened, but he knew she was alive.

He gave a sigh of relief and pushed himself off of her and leaned his back against the seat. His gazed traveled over to her face, which her mouth was now covered in his red paint. It made him chuckle a little. She still needed to get to the hospital though. He didn't know the extent of the damage that had been done, and he didn't want her coding on him again. He watched her the whole trip, her chest moving up and down, and up, and down.

When they finally reached the hospital, the Joker climbed from the van as fast as he could, pulling her over his shoulder once more. He had almost forgotten about his burn until he did this.

The Joker ran past two nurses in the emergency room, who nearly dropped their coffees, which made him laugh. They shrieked as he laid Jill down on a nearby gurney. "Take good care of this one girls." And with that, he ran out as fast as he came in. One of the ladies immediately rushed over to her side, calling for assistance, while the other was quick to call the police.

The Joker stumbled to the van, slightly rubbing his hurt arm, but not so much that anybody noticed. Jonathan and the other guy were seated silently as he popped in. "Who was that girl?" the other guy asked bravely.

"No one." Was all his reply.

"But she sure looked like someone. Why didn't you let that whore burn in that building?"

The Joker merely rolled his eyes. "Because…. That wouldn't have been funny."

"Does everything always have to be…." The man was silenced when the Joker slammed his head into the dashboard, knocking him out instantly. "Yes it does." He began to open the door, "Excuse me, I call shotgun!" and he shoved the man out, landing on his face. The Joker peered at Jonathan, pointing to the wheel. "Let's go, bud-dy." They bolted down the street at lightning speed.

* * *

At the hospital, the nurses were triple checking to make sure the Joker had gone. He had come in and set a woman down on a gurney, scaring them half to death. As soon as they knew he had cleared, they immediately sprang into action, their idle hands trying to find her damages. They checked her pulse, so they knew she was alive, just unconscious. They saw that she was covered in soot, and assumed it was from the fire at Bruce Wayne's Winter Ball. Many guests from the ball had come in there after the fire, even Mr. Wayne himself. But none of them had any major injuries; they were all just small cuts and burns.

"Ma'am? Ma'am! Can you hear me?" the nurses were trying to get a response from her. But she was off in her own world.

* * *

_Inside her mind, she could see a lone tree, standing in the middle of a small field. It was the most peculiar tree she had ever seen. The trunk spiraled around, and many branches stuck out of it. The sky was a perfect shade of blue, and there was a peaceful feeling in the atmosphere. Birds were singing in the background, and the sun beamed onto her skin, giving it a radiant glow. She wore a long, white dress, which was flowing in the wind. She wondered for a minute if she was in heaven. _

_Something was beckoning her to the tree, and she made her way to it. It was like she was in some sort of a trance, only focused on that one object. The world could be burning all around her and she wouldn't even notice._

_Her hand came up to the trunk, and she gently felt the coarse texture. "You should take a picture. It lasts longer." A voice spoke from above her. Her head shot up, seeing it was Jack. Both smiled widely, before she climbed up next to him. He looked like the old him again, with no purple suit, no paint, and best of all, no scars. _

"_Jack, I've missed you so much." She grabbed his hand, but he moved it away, not wanting to meet her gaze. "What's the matter?"_

"_What are you doing here? You weren't supposed to come here for a long time. You need to go back." he moved from his spot, climbing to a different branch. She couldn't understand why he was acting like this._

"_Tell me what's going on." She made her way through the branches until she met the same one he was on. "What do you mean I need to go back? I want to be here with you. You're acting so strange."_

_He knew she wasn't understanding, and grabbed both of her shoulders, shaking her a bit. "Look, you shouldn't be here. You need to go back." He jumped from the branch and landed on the ground. "I can't believe he let this happen. He should have been taking better care of you than this."_

"_Jack, what are you talking about? Where am I, and who shouldn't have let this happen?" she watched as he began to walk away, and she was fed up with his games. She dropped from the tree, sprinting over to him. She spun him around to face her. "Look, just tell me what's going on! Am I in heaven?"_

"_No, you're not in heaven. Not yet anyway. I don't know exactly what this place is called, but it's the halfway point between heaven and your life." He walked back over to the tree, and she followed him. "You're here because you're looking for answers. Answers that I don't have, he does. Although he would never answer them honestly."_

"_Who?"_

"_I think you know who." She did know who. "He shouldn't have let this happen. Look, you weren't supposed to come here for a long time."_

"_But he is you. You are him. You are the same person."_

_He gave a slight laugh, but his eyes grew darker. "No, we're not. I died along time ago, when he became that thing. I've been here for awhile, waiting for you. But it's not your time."_

"_But, I want to be here with you. I don't want to go back. I haven't seen you in so long, I've missed you too much to go back now." They pulled each other in a long hug. She never wanted to let him go. _

"_Look, you think that's what you want. But you know you don't." he pulled apart, only for her to bring him back to her. "Just, don't lie and say that's what you want. You know you want him, not me."_

"_Jack, no I….. It's just, I don't know anymore." Tears began flowing down her face, and he brought his hands up to wipe them away. "Don't hate me."_

_He chuckled, "I could never hate you. I love you. You know you're my girl." _

"_I know. If you fall down and break your crown, then I'll come tumbling after." They both laughed, and Jack wiped the rest of the tears from her cheeks. _

_He kissed the top of her forehead, and hugged her one last time. "It's time for you to go now."_

"_What? No, I don't want to go yet."_

* * *

The nurses had found a room for her, and had her already all checked out. They had to take her cast off to examine her whole body, and astonishingly, whatever was broken had healed itself. It was one of those once in a lifetime medical phenomena's and all the doctors were stunned. The only damage she had were to her lungs and that would determine her life in the future. She hadn't waken up yet, so they couldn't tell if the smoke inhalation had effected her vocal cords, or anything else. They knew that she would most likely have lung problems for the rest of her life though.

The police had come after she was all checked out, and they were questioning all the people from the party. Every story was the same: The Joker had come and set fire to the place. But then with this girl, who the doctors have labeled Jane Doe, the police were skeptical about why the Joker would save her and bring her to the hospital. Commissioner Gordon was most of all confused. He knew it wasn't like the Joker to save someone's life. He was going to thoroughly question her, as soon as she was awake.

"Have you found any records on the Jane doe?" one of the nurses asked her doctor.

The white haired, sixty year old man shook his head. "No, but maybe one of the guests knows who she is. Mr. Wayne's still here, it was his party, so maybe he'll know who she is. Can you please go get him?" Dr. Campbell was most interested to see who this woman was. In all his years as a doctor, he had never observed someone quite like her.

"Yes sir." The nurse waltzed onto the emergency room waiting area, where most of the guests were just about to leave. She found Mr. Wayne and another guest talking, and over heard the last of their conversation.

"Miranda, I can't find her anywhere."

"Maybe she went home."

"You don't think she…."

"Excuse me, Mr. Wayne, are you having trouble finding someone?" she was hoping the Jane Doe was the right one.

Bruce wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead, looking down on the nurse. "Yes, she was at the party, and I don't know if she came here, or anything for that matter."

"Well, we have a Jane Doe that was brought in a couple of hours ago," she stuttered, "maybe it's the person you're looking for." She waved them toward her room, explaining what happened to her. "By the amount of smoke she inhaled, it looks like she got caught in the fire for a while and couldn't get out. Someone must have found here and rescued her. She's lucky to be alive."

She opened the door to her room, and both Bruce and Miranda followed her inside. Sure enough, Jillien lay unconscious on the bed, in one of the hospital's gowns. "Yes, that's her."

"Oh thank God." Miranda muttered. "Is she going to be okay?"

"Well, she inhaled a lot of smoke. We won't be able to say until she wakes up." The nurse grabbed her chart, looking over her information. "She could have possible damage to her lungs, vocal cords, or esophagus. We'll know more when she's awake. So, who is she? We need to contact a relative of some sort, if they live in Gotham."

"Jillien Harding. I think her parents still live here." Bruce took off his jacket, the room feeling as if it was rising ten degrees every minute. "Do you know who got her out of there?" Bruce asked just as Commissioner Gordon walked in. There was an awkward silence among them until the commissioner spoke.

"It was the Joker."

"The Joker?" Miranda chimed in. "Why would he do that? I mean I'm glad that he did, but what's the reasoning behind it?"

"That's what we're all wondering." Gordon seated himself in one of the chairs by her bed. "I'm just waiting until she can wake up so I can figure out what happened."

"Well," the nurse began, "we can she that she has bruising around her chest, and when she first came in…. well, she had a red substance all along her mouth, as if he…."

"Gave CPR?" Bruce asked. The nurse nodded her head, which made him sick to his stomach. He knew the Joker, but this, this puzzled him. It didn't make sense that he would save her, and resuscitate her. "What does this mean?"

"We don't know sir."

* * *

"_Jack, please, I don't want to go." She latched onto him as tight as she could. "I want to stay here with you."_

"_You wont be happy here." He lightly brushed her hair from her crying face. "You know the only thing that can make you happy, and it's not me."_

"_No, no, no, no. I don't, it's just…" she leaned her head against his chest. "I'll miss you a lot. I barely see a part of you in him, and…. I just can't take him anymore. I've almost died four times since he came back into my life."_

"_Yet you still went back to him."_

"_And he can be so difficult sometimes; his mood swings throw me off."_

"_But that's what keeps you interested."_

"_He wears make up, and is so filthy sometimes."_

"_You've always loved clowns."_

"_And he's a criminal! He's murdered, and stolen!"_

"_But that excites you. It didn't use to, but now it gives you a little thrill."_

"_And….and…."_

"_And, what?"_

_She paused for a moment, shocking herself when the words came out. "And, I love him." She wiped the tears from her eyes. "I don't know why, but I do. I just…. I don't know, I just do." she felt like a great burden had been lifted off her shoulders, but at the same time she felt like she was hurting Jack. "Now I feel like I'm betraying you. I love who he is now, and not who he was. I'm so sorry."_

"_Don't be sorry. The heart wants what the heart wants. You're not betraying me, because I want you to be happy. If you're happy with him, then I'm happy." he laughed slightly. "I know he'll be too." He reached into his pocket, "It's time for you to go now, Jill." He pulled out a necklace, which was identical to the one she was wearing, except it was the other half. "Give this to him, will you?"_

_She opened her hand, and he placed the necklace in her palm. "Jack, will I ever see you again?"_

"_Definitely. When you come back, I'll be waiting. But until then, adieu." He turned from her and started walking away, and the whole sky began getting brighter and brighter._

"_Jack, I love you."_

"_I love you too Jill." Everything went white, until she could not see two feet in front of her._

* * *

"Okay, if I can get you guys to wait in the waiting room please." The nurse went over and opened the door. "We'll come get you as soon as she wakes up."

"What about her parents?" Bruce asked as he met the door.

"We'll call, and get them over here as soon as possible sir."

* * *

The harsh lights met my eyes as they opened. My body ached, and I struggled to lift my head up. I could see that I was in hospital bed, with wires and needles hooked up all over me. I saw four people standing in front of the door: Bruce, Miranda, Commissioner Gordon, and a nurse. My throat burned like hell, and I let out a sickening cough. Everyone turned to face me, and I gave a weak smile.

"She's awake." I heard Miranda squeal.

Everyone began to crowd around me, and the nurse went screaming for the doctor. I coughed some more, well, a lot more. It felt like there was something stuck and I couldn't get it out. "Someone get her some water!"

The nurse rushed to get the water, and handed it to me. I took long gulps, while everyone stood around like stunned animals. When the doctor finally entered, he cleared everyone out. "Watch out, everyone I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Please go to the waiting room until we give you anything else."

They all left silently, leaving me alone with the aging doctor and the nurse. "Ms. Harding, I'm Dr. Campbell. Do you know where you are?" he spoke gently as he pulled a chair next to me.

"In the hospital." My voice was hoarse, and it stung my throat to talk.

"Do you know why you're here?" yet another question. "Or, I should ask, what do you remember last?"

I couldn't remember how I had gotten here, but I did remember the party, and the smoke forming around me. "I was at Bruce Wayne's Winter Ball, and I went to the bathroom. I went out, and the doors were locked. I tried to get out, and that's when the smoke came. The last thing I remember was the ceiling falling, and then everything went black."

"Do you know why the place caught fire?" I shook my head no. "Nurse, can you go get the Commissioner? I think he can explain this better than I can." I didn't want to speak after that, I just wanted to know what happened, and how I got out of the building alive. Dr. Campbell inspected my body, and most of all, my chest and my throat. It wasn't starting to hurt anymore, which was a good thing.

Both the nurse and the Commissioner came in about five minutes later. "Okay, Ms. Harding, you're vitals look good. We're going to step outside and let you talk to the Commissioner, but we'll be back." He turned to the Commissioner, "Make it quick."

"I'm sorry this happened to you, Ms. Harding." He sat down in a chair Dr. Campbell had sat in previously. "Well, where to begin? The fire at the party, it was caused by the Joker. He crashed it, and set the place to burn." Well that explains it. But it still didn't explain how I got out.

"How did I get to the hospital?" my throat radiated.

"The two nurses that were on watch say that the Joker saved you, and brought you here." Oh geez. Of course it was him. He must have found me in the back. "Do you know why, he would have rescued you like that?"

Yes. "No sir."

"The doctor said that the Joker might have given you CPR, both chest compressions and rescue breathing. They found red residue along your mouth. Do you have any clue why he would resuscitate you?"

I've known him since we were nine years old, and I might have just found something out that could change my life forever. "No Commissioner."

"Lastly, have you ever come into contact with the Joker before, Ms. Harding?"

All the time. "I'm sorry, commissioner, but no."

He scribbled something down in his notepad before getting up. "Thank you, Ms. Harding. If you think of anything else that can be of help, don't hesitate to call." He handed me his card, and left the room.

Dr. Campbell soon came in after, sitting back down in his chair. "Well Ms. Harding, you need to get some rest. I'll explain everything to you tomorrow. Just try to get some sleep, huh?"

Thank god everyone was leaving. My eyes were starting to droop anyways. "Thank you doctor." I turned my head to the left, looking at a small bedside table. On top was a small chain, with a heart spilt down the middle attached to it. I thought it was mine until I felt around my neck, realizing my necklace was still there. I reached for it, and pulled it closer so I could get a better look at it. "Doctor, where did this come from?"

"Oh, that?" he asked while reaching the door. "The nurses found that in your hand when you were brought in. Get some sleep."

He left and I pulled up both necklaces. The two halves of the heart fit perfectly. I turned them around, reading the message on the back. It sent butterflies to my stomach.

"J and J Forever"

**SexyJokerLovers: AH! ah... AH! ah... AH! ah... Guys, I'm so excited! Great things are going to come! I'm sad as well, because this story is halfway over! Waaaaaaaahhhhhhh! Oh well. Still a long way to go though! Read and review!**


	15. Hospital Gowns and Nothing Solid

**SexyJokerLovers: **** three chapters in one day you may ask? That's a new record! Well this chap. and the next were originally one long chapter, but I decided I would break it down into two because of it's awesomeness. Once again thanks for the reviews and follows.**

I had woken up the following morning feeling so strange. Something in the air felt different, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I kept thinking back to the dream about Jack, if you could call it a dream. It seemed so real, like I could feel him touching me. I couldn't explain how the necklace got into my hand. It wasn't like it was some ghost-like paranormal thing happening to me, right? Well I was clueless. And I kept thinking back to the conversation we had. Jack and I were obviously talking about the Joker. How he had taken over, and the Jack part of him was gone forever. It didn't make sense that Jack would say I loved him, and that I would agree! Giving me reasons as to why I could be in love with the Joker! Ha! I almost chuckled out loud. There was no way I was in love with the Joker.

I mean, yes he was my best friend, and yes maybe I did find him attractive, but that didn't mean I loved him, right? No, it couldn't. I mean, he was a criminal for crying out loud! He's killed people, and blown half of Gotham to smithereens. What Jack said didn't make sense. That didn't excite me, if anything it made me want to puke. Oh, then there's Jack. He said he wasn't the same person anymore. Well, gee I knew that, but I still thought part of him would be lodged somewhere deep within that tormented soul of his, trying to fight his way out.

I just…. I just didn't know what to think anymore. I had so many questions left unanswered. Jack is the Joker. The Joker is Jack. Jack said he loved me, but that didn't mean he did now. The Joker is incapable of loving someone, no matter which way you swing the bat. Or at least, that's what I used to think. My racked my brain every time a new thought burst into my mind.

It just got through to me that Jack had always loved me. I didn't think I felt the same way. Everyone else had seen the way we interacted with each other, but I thought it was just friends being friends. Was it just their imagination, or was there something else behind all of this? The more I thought the more confused I became. The Joker has no empathy for anyone, so why for me? Known him the longest. Check. Best friend. Check. Only person who knows who he really is. Check. Wanting him to go back to being Jack. Check. Something else that could play into all of this? Possibility.

I didn't figure loved would be a reason. I mean, I thought he hated me. All those years ago, when he got his scars, I threw him out when I should have nurtured him. I should have been his friend. I treated him like crap after that. I couldn't ever see his face again before breaking down in a corner. I thought that after all that had happened, all the things he did, it was acting out against my poor judgment. But maybe he just did it to do it. He can be so irrational sometimes.

So, once again I was brought back to my thought of his feelings for me. It might be that he feels that we are just friends. But I know that he's done horrible things to people that are his so called friends, and he's never done that to me. And I've probably pissed him off way worse than anyone else had. So, why has he not done anything about it? What was the real reason he didn't want me to go? Why then, did he kidnap me? It wasn't because…. No, it couldn't. He never felt like that. Jack might have, but he couldn't. But then again, they were the same person. The same person who's saved my life countless times, who's been there for me, even if it was an illogical way to do it. So, what did this mean? This meant that I needed a lot to figure out. What he felt and what I did.

And I'm spent. My brain couldn't function anymore until I got some food in my system. That's when Dr. Campbell came in. He looked surprised to see me awake so early- it was about seven thirty- and came over and seated himself next to me. "So, how are we feeling today Jillien?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but a long, dry cough came out instead. I was hoping this wouldn't be happening a lot lately. But then again, I did inhale a lot of smoke. "Just a little sore." My voice was still hoarse, but it didn't hurt my throat as much to talk as it did yesterday. "I'm more confused than anything."

"Well, I should probably brief you on what I skipped out on last night."

I nodded my head, whispering, "Please."

He adjusted himself in his chair before he continued. "Let's answer the obvious question about why there is no further damage to your body." I nodded, and he started. "We found bruising along your body, from what you said was the ceiling collapsing on top of you. And that was the only thing, besides the damages to your lungs that you received. When it fell, it trapped your entire body underneath. The flames couldn't get to you just yet. So it basically saved your life."

"And now you're probably wondering why you no longer have a cast on your hand." What? I looked down at my right hand. Low and behold, there was nothing on it. How had I not noticed it was gone? A big bulk of purple suddenly disappears, and I don't even see it. "Well, when we took the full body x-ray of you, it showed that your bone had healed. We don't know why, are how. But that fracture is gone. It's one of the most miraculous things we've ever seen."

Okay, things were seriously getting strange around here. I just broke it like two weeks ago, and now the bone is magically healed. Just like the necklace magically appeared in my hand. I felt like Harry Potter had shown up and was playing tricks on me. "How long do you think I'll be here?"

He leaned back in the chair, silently stroking his moustache. "Well, since you have sustained no other damage, you could be cleared soon. But we want to investigate the damages to your lungs first. So, I'd say, probably a week, tops."

Good enough for me. I couldn't deal with the outside world anymore. Everything was just so damn complicated. "I think you're well rested enough to have visitors Jillien." His voice broke through my thoughts. Were Bruce and Miranda still here, waiting for me to wake up, or did they go home and get some rest before coming back here? Well, it didn't matter. I just needed some one to talk to for a little while, so I could tell them that everything was fine with me. At least, on the outside.

Dr. Campbell rose from his seat just as I leaned up from the bed. He walked to then door and opened it, revealing familiar faces. Bruce Wayne, Miranda Johnson, and two more people I hadn't see in almost four years. My parents. I almost didn't recognize them. I squealed with excitement. Four years away from them, even though we lived in the same city. I know I might sound like an unfaithful daughter, but I just couldn't handle most people anymore. And I definitely didn't want them up my butt about Jack. I mean, we occasionally talked on the phone, and I sent Christmas and Birthday presents over every year, but that was pretty much it.

Mom lunged for me first. "Jillien, my sweet girl! I'm so glad you're okay!" she wrapped her arms around me, and I intern did the same, squeezing her as tight as I could. Tears began falling from my eyes as we pulled away. I could see hers were running as well. My attention then turned towards Dad, who was covering his hand over his mouth.

"Oh, my baby girl." We hugged each other for what seemed like ages. I breathed in his scent, which still smelt like grease mixed with mint. His hair was thinning and completely grey, and he lost a lot of weight. Mom was graying in some places, but she still had her brown curls that dropped down to her shoulders. She wore her glasses with the red frames that I loved a lot.

"I've missed you both so much." I tried to get out past my tears. "You have no idea." It was true. Living in solitude starts to take its toll on you once you've realized who you've been without for so long.

"We were so scared when we got the call…." Mom began before having to compose herself. "We thought we might have lost you." She placed her head in her hands and began sobbing again.

I placed my hand on top of hers, trying to calm her down. "It's okay mom. I'm going to be okay." But the gruff sound of my voice didn't reassure her. "I'm just so glad you're both here."

"Yes, and we are not leaving your side." Dad gripped my shoulders, but in a kind way. "And when you get out of here, you're going to stay with us for a while. We don't want anything else to happen to you."

I smiled at him, amused by his affection. "Daddy, I don't….." I stopped myself when I realized that maybe I should stay with them for a little bit before I do anything else drastic. "I would love that." I dried my tears as they did the same. Then I looked up, seeing Miranda and Bruce, who I had completely forgotten had come in too. They were both still in their ensembles from last night, which meant that they mustn't have gone home, and stayed here the entire night. "Hey guys." I managed to mutter.

Mom and Dad moved from my side to the front of the room while Miranda and Bruce came forward. "We have been worried sick about you girlie. We've been up all night waiting with your parents." Miranda playfully joked. "But, we're glad you're going to be okay."

"You know you guys didn't have to do that." It was a nice gesture on their part, and it made me feel good to have more people that actually care about my well being. "I would have been fine."

Bruce walked around and sat in the seat where Dr. Campbell had sat. "I'm so sorry this happened to you. It's all my fault. If I hadn't angered the Joker, you wouldn't be here right now."

"No, Bruce, it's no one's fault. It was a faulty door that's to blame. You couldn't have known." I tried to make it feel like it wasn't his fault, but he still sat there with a regretful look in his eyes. "Bruce, don't worry. I don't blame you."

"But I still feel responsible. You were _my_ date, and I didn't even think to look for you. I just assumed you had gotten out with the crowd. I didn't know you had…"

"Bruce," I cut him off before he could finish. "Look, I blame no one. It's not my fault, it's not your fault, it's not the Joker's fault." Oops. I couldn't stop the words from spilling from my mouth.

Everyone seemed to tumble toward me, gasping and all crying out, "WHAT!?" because what I said had shocked them. "How can you say it wasn't his fault?" Dad screamed. "It's entirely his fault. That son of a bitch nearly got you killed!"

"Look, I didn't mean it like…."

"See what I mean. You sound like you do because that psychopath almost burned you to a crisp! If I ever get my hands on that lousy, no good, yellow-bellied lizard, I'll gut him like a fish." His face had gone completely red, and I was scared by it.

I tried to speak, but only coughed some more. "What I meant was that yes, he caused the fire, but no, that's not why I'm here." My voice grew raspier as I began to shout. "I'm in this bed with needles strung out from me because a door decided to lock me in, and there was no other way out!"

"How do you know it wasn't him?" Bruce butted in.

I cleared my throat before continuing. "I had gone to the bathroom way before the Joker and his pose decided to show up."

"She's right." Miranda added. "Besides, the Joker came in from the front of the building. The bathrooms were all the way in the back."

"Thank you Miranda." I coughed a bit more. "See, no one is to blame. Can we please drop the subject, and just be glad I'm okay?" I gave everyone a fake smile, but they must have thought I was a lunatic. I was basically defending the Joker. But, the truth was the truth. He didn't purposefully do this so he could get me back into the hospital. I didn't even think he knew I went to the party.

"We will discuss this later. All I know is that I'm going to rip the guy's head off." Dad still wouldn't drop it, with got me frustrated.

Even though I probably shouldn't have been talking in nothing but a whisper, I still tried to defend the Joker to the best of my abilities. "Dad! You are also forgetting that this man pulled me out of that building. I am here because he was kind enough to not let me die. I know you may not see it that way, but I owe my life to him."

They all went silent after that. No one dared speak a word to each other. It was only harsh glares in my direction, and glances at the floor. When someone finally spoke, it was Bruce. "She's right. He did save her. For reasons that we may not know, but he did save her, revived her even. They said that she might not have had a pulse, and the Joker did CPR and saved her life."

"Fine. But I still want his head on a plate." I heard Dad mumbled under his breath.

"Okay, okay everyone. Let's all relax and calm down." Mom jumped in before the arguing could continue. "There are much bigger things we need to worry about. Like what kind of 'Get Well Soon' cake you want! I mean, if you're allowed to have any that is. I'll ask the doctor later."

"You're too good to me." I grinned, the pain in my throat beginning to die down. "Pineapple." They all gave me questioning stares, so I explained. "Pineapple cake? You know, a cake, with pineapples? My favorite flavor?"

I could see a cloud of dread fall over them, and I wished I could take it back. "Oh, right." Mom stuttered. "Sorry, we forgot. We are at that age, and well, dear we haven't seen you in so long, you have to understand that we might forget a thing or two."

"Oh, I uh…." I didn't know what to say, because I then felt incredibly bad that I abandoned them for so long. "I'm sorry."

That was the last word spoken by anyone before yet another awkward silence engulfed the room. I watched with careful eyes as Miranda leaned into Bruce and whispered something in his ear. Bruce then addressed the entire room, "Well, I think it would be best if Miranda and I graciously take our leave, leave you with your family." Something caught in his throat when he said that, like he was about to start crying. I knew his parents were killed, and it made me sympathize with him. I couldn't imagine my parents dying like that. He grabbed my hand and brought it up to him and it met his lips. "I'll check in on you later. Besides, you still owe me a dance."

"We'll see." I giggled as he got up and headed for the door. Miranda came near me, and I gave her a great big hug. "You'll come back and see me too, right?"

We both laughed aloud. "Of course I will. And when you get out, I'm taking you out for lunch, my treat. We still have a lot of catching up to do." That almost made me want to say no. The last time I let someone catch up with me, she ended up getting me fired. But that's okay; her job went up in flames as well.

"Oh definitely." She met Bruce at the door. "Bye." I waved at them and they left, leaving me alone with my parents until a nurse came in with a tray of food. "Oh thank God." I was so happy to see food. It was hospital food, but I was too hungry to care. I called after the nurse before she could walk out, "You're a saint. I swear, one day they'll be writing songs about you." This made the entire room fill with laughter, and she departed.

I began shoveling food down my throat as mom started to talk. "So, are you and Bruce Wayne dating?" that comment made me choke on my own saliva. I gave her a look as if to say "Are you kidding me?" and shook my head no. "Well I don't know! He claims you were his date and kissed you on the hand. That could mean you were together.

I wanted to laugh. Sure Bruce is handsome, but he was definitely just a friend. "No mom, we aren't together. I don't really like the rich guy types." True, true. Bruce seemed to get everything he wanted just because he had money. He was able to buy an expensive dress for me within no time at all. He bought restaurants at the drop of a hat. There was NO way I would be with a guy like that.

"Well, are you seeing anybody?" she bluntly asked.

"No, mom." I spat, annoyed that she kept pestering me about it. I know I shouldn't be, but I really was starting to hate people busting in on my personal life.

She resituated herself in her chair, and I grabbed a container of jell-o the nurse had given me. "I'm sorry Jillien; it's just that we don't know anything about you anymore. Four years is a long time."

Now that made me feel even worse about what I did. "I know, I know. I'm sorry I wasn't around. I just….." well I couldn't say the real reason, but I gave an honest one. "I just needed some space for awhile. I needed some time to think about complicated things in my life."

Mom laid her hand in mine, and I squeezed it. "Honey, if you ever need to talk to us about anything, you can." She brought her hand back to her lap. "We don't care why you were away, we just care that you're here now, and that you're going to be alright."

"I know. Thanks. I love you both so much, you know that right?" I ask, still a bit unsure if they weren't really upset with me.

"Of course we do." Dad chimed in. "You're our little girl. We loved you too." They both attacked me, each one squeezing harder than the other. The affection was greatly appreciated, even though it most likely wasn't deserved.

* * *

That week went by so slow. During my stay, all I could do was watch TV or take a walk. But I wasn't going to take a walk around the place because the horrid hospital gowns have a huge slit down the back. My flat butt would have been revealed to every onlooker. Pass!

By the end of the week, my voice gave out entirely. Dr. Campbell had advised me once to take it easy and not talk so much, but a lot needed to be said to everyone. My throat wasn't hurting as much, and my dad bought me a dry erase board from the hospital gift shop. It was kind of fun using it until my voice came back.

You wouldn't believe how many gifts I got my entire stay. Ridiculous presents from Bruce, like a gold bracelet and gift cards to some fancy pants food joint, trying to make it up to me because he still believed my ending up here was his fault. It pushed me over the point of exhaustion from the subject. But I was glad that he had called and cancelled my room at the hotel. I forgot all about it, and it would have racked up my bill. He also had someone retrieve my personal belongings, and apparently had them go out of the way to drive my car to my parent's house. It was sickeningly sweet of him.

I was just so happy that I was getting out of this hellhole. I was tired of being stark naked underneath my gown, and I needed better food then the stuff they served here. I was so glad I was going to be able to eat more than soft foods now.

I gathered all my things when Dr. Campbell gave me the okay to go. I was so ecstatic that I nearly toppled him over while I was readying myself. I got changed into my clothes and came out of the bathroom right when mom and dad arrived to escort me home. I quickly gathered up anything else I could find, making sure I had the necklace Jack had given me, and followed Dr. Campbell out. "Now, I'm leaving you in the care of your darling parents, Jillien."

_Thanks Doc._ I scribbled down on the dry erase board.

"Now, if you start to feel a tightness in your chest, or if when your coughing you feel like something is stuck in your throat and it won't come out, don't hesitate to come in."

_Aye aye Captain!_ I showed him the board before giving him a salute. We all chuckled, well, except for me, and we had turned to exit the building when a nurse came running up to us. "Ms! Ms! Wait, this is yours." She held out a small, purple stuffed bear to me. "I received it a few days ago and forgot to give it to you."

_Thank you_. I had a feeling I knew who it was from when I saw the bear was purple. I took a look at the note, I was a dead ringer. _Feel Better Soon –J. _ It made me smile, thinking that he, the Joker, actually went out of his way to but a stuffed animal for me.

"Who's it from Honey?" Mom asked. I tore the note from the bear's chest, and hid it from their view.

_It doesn't say._ She only gave a small, "huh" and I followed her out of the hospital and to the car. I jumped in the back, buckling my seat belt and looking back down at the bear. There was something I needed to figure out, and as soon as I was out of their sites, I would do it. I began to wonder just what the Joker was doing at this very moment.

**SexyJokerLovers: So, what do you think is going to happen? you must keep reading!**  
** So, I just realized something. I totally stole this whole Titanic thing. _Jack, I'll never let go. _I'm so blond. Did anyone of you guys catch that? Don't forget to review.  
**


	16. Thanks For Saving My Life

**SexyJokerLovers:**** Okay, so this... this is the chapter of all chapters. Well, no it's not. But it's pretty freakin awesome! I had to rewrite it like 5 times before I got it the way I wanted it. It will get your heart a pounding. Teehee!**

"Just tell me what you want me to do." The Joker sat at the end of a long table, clearly annoyed at the group of mobsters sitting at the sides of him. "You know, I'm really growing impatient here. If you didn't want me to _help _you guys out, then why am I here?" no one said a word to him, for they were too frightened to speak. "How about a magic trick? Maybe that'll get you talking." He turned to a most skittish man at the end of the table, and pulled out a deck of cards, shuffling them. "Pick a card, any card." The man hesitated before doing so, but eventually plucked out a seven of clubs. "Now…. Show the rest of the class please." He did as he was told and showed everyone except the Joker. "Now place it anywhere in the deck." The Joker turned his head, and the man placed it near the front of the deck. "Now, let's see if I can't guess what your card was." He lifted the deck of cards, and shot them all down to the other end of the table with lightning speed. One guy began to make several choking noises, and everyone turned to investigate him. There was a long slit in his neck, with blood trickling down it. The Joker wandered over to him, placing his hands along the guys cut. "Hmm….. I wonder…." He felt the tip of something peaking out from the guy's neck, and ripped it out. The man then collapsed to the floor, blood slowly flowing out of him before he ran out of breathe.

The Joker showed everyone that it was one of his playing cards; it just had blood covering the entire thing. He looked over at the guy next to him, who was cowering in fear. The Joker pulled his tucked in tie, and wiped all the blood onto it, creating a messy stain. "Is this, your card?" he held up a joker card to face his audience. The stunned man from the end of the table shook his head no. "No? Oh right. It's mine!" he burst into hysterics of laughter, frightening everyone at the table with his horrid screech. "Hm, so where did your card go then? Let's find out."

He was stopped when a TV unit was brought to the table, and revealed a suited… person with a plain black mask covering their face. Whoever it was obviously didn't want anyone to know their identity. "Greetings, Joker." The voiced was auto tuned, and it gave an alien like pitch to it. "I have a proposition for you."

The Joker roared with laughter, making everyone else in the room jump. "It's about time. I was afraid everyone in this room had their tongues cut off." He sat back down in his chair, and leaned into the table, fascinated by what this person was going to say.

"We here have a bit of a situation we need your tactics to help us with." The alien voice spoke. "Our entire life savings was put in one of Gotham's banks. And for reasons we can't explain, the fools who run it won't let us even get a nickel. That is why we are daring to enlist in your help."

"That is why you're a fool to want my help." The Joker cackled. "But, I'm listening." He said as he kicked his feet up against the table and leaned back in his chair.

"We need you to get our money and bring it here. There will be a substantial reward by doing so." The masked man leaned into his camera. "We know exactly how much we should get back, and if there is anything missing, let's just say we'll be seeing each other again. I have eyes and ears all over this city; you won't be able to outrun me."

The Joker gave one of his disapproving looks as he licked his lips. "Re-lax. You'll have all your precious moola in one piece. I'm a man of my word." He removed his legs from the table, and leaned in toward the screen. "But you know, it's not about the money. It's about sending a message."

"I know," the mask began it's idiotically pitched voice. "My message is that no one keeps me from my money." The Joker gave a wave of his hand, like what the man was saying was not good enough. The screen then shut off. The Joker hopped from his chair and made his way to the exit, but a small voice stopped him.

"You better not mess this up for us pal." The man was brave. The Joker only gave a smile, and with his added scars, it gave him a truly terrifying grin. Out of nowhere, the same man began to choke. He was coughing and sputtering, trying to get what was lodged in his throat out. The man fell to the floor, for the object had gotten the best of him.

The Joker merely walked over to him, and slammed his hand on his chest. He opened the man's mouth, and pulled out a waded up piece of paper. He unfolded it, tossing it on the table. He looked to the man who he had began his magic trick with. "Was that your card?" everyone leaned in to get a glance at the soaked card. Low and behold, it was the seven of clubs.

"How did you…." One man started to ask, but stopped when he realized the Joker was gone.

* * *

As soon as I got home, I was immediately relaxed. I was staying in my old room, and everything was still there from when I used to live in it. Everything from my old bed sheets to my awesome Britney Spears posters that still clung to the wall. Yes, I am a Britney Spears fan. Her pre-psychopathic days.

I didn't know how long I was going to be staying in Gotham, maybe a few weeks tops, before heading back out to New York. I would have to find another job, and God knows how that'll go. God knows how the Joker will take that. I don't even know what he thinks anymore. I know he gave me a bear, wow had to laugh out loud at that one, and that he cares about me. I just needed to see what he felt, and how much. Yup, sign me into Arkham, because I'm losing my marbles. I was actually anxious to see him, but I was nervous at the same time.

I flopped onto my bed, clutching the bear, once again laughing, and turned on the TV. There was nothing good on, so I flipped to the news, and Mike Engel was reporting for GCN. I had to laugh at the title at the bottom: Joker Robs Bank! What, like they could find a better one? Just Joker robs bank? They've been slacking there down at the news station, but then again it looked like the story was just posted, so they might not have had time to create something catchy. Didn't the Joker already do the whole rob a bank deal? Must be something else behind it, because I don't think he would do the same thing twice. Then again, I don't know how his brain works, and I'm starting to give up on trying.

I basically flipped through the channels until I came across one of my favorite movies of all time, Ten Things I Hate About You. Man, Heath Ledger was incredibly attractive in that movie. He reminded me a lot of Jack, except Jack's hair was a lot lighter than Heath's, but other than that, I was always amazed at how much they resembled each other. I cried a lot when I heard that he died, because he was such a good actor, one of my favorites.

I laughed throughout the whole movie. Especially the scene where Heath sings "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" that was just the icing on the cake of all things romantic. I looked at my old clock that still hung on the wall, and it said that it was only five thirty. I didn't know what else to do, so I scrounged through the room, and found some of my old writing journals. I haven't written in a while, being too preoccupied with other, things.

So I decided to revisit some of my old stories. Boy, there was a lot. Did I really write this much? It seemed like so long ago, I don't even remember. I found many exotic stories, like one about a man who lost his peanut butter sandwich, and searched all day for it, only to find out that his dog had eaten it. I wondered if at the time I actually thought I was writing a good story, or if I just did it for kicks and giggles. God, there were so many weird stories. I thought about what would happen if I became a true author, and published these into children's books, or put them all into one fancy short story collection. I would call it: The Literary Works of J.B. Harding. Catchy, huh? Maybe a thought for the future, but not now.

By the time I was done reading over everything, mom had called me out for dinner. I was pleased when I saw that they had a plate of shrimp and scallions on the table. Shrimp after all, was my favorite. I devoured every bit of the intoxicating meal, like a hungry dog that was being starved for days. I didn't even bother to use a fork. I lost all my table manners, causing mom and dad to stare awkwardly in my direction. _I'm sorry. _I picked up the fork and started using it. When everyone had finished, mom got up from the table and went around to the small kitchen, bringing out a tiny cake. Mom cut it into four small pieces, and handed one to me, dad, and then gave herself one. My mouth was watering just at the sight of it. And when the decadent layers met my mouth, my taste buds danced. The pineapple was so rich, and I finished my piece within a few bites. _Thank you._

They both smiled at me and I cleared my dishes. It was about eight when I went back into my room. I took a whiff of my hair, which still smelled like hospital. I laid out some clothes on the bed, and hopped in the shower. Hit Me Baby One More Time was stuck in my head, but I couldn't sing it because my voice was still a no show. By the time I was done and got into some pajamas, I couldn't believe how tired I was. As soon as my head hit the pillow I was out cold.

When I woke up the next morning, it was around seven. Mom and dad were already up; they've always been morning people. I tried working my voice, but I ended up straining my throat even more. Mom had bought me some lozenges, so I sucked on a few while I made some scrambled eggs. I was trying to make time go faster, because there was something I really needed to do, and I didn't want to do it this early in the morning. But alas, time was playing for the opposing side.

ate my breakfast while dad read the morning paper, and mom knitted what looked like a scarf on the couch. "So Jillien," mom spoke. "Are you still in touch with Jack?"

That caught me off guard, as I sat at the table with my mouth dangling open, the churned eggs about to fall out. _Jack, um….._ I didn't think of what to say. So far, what I've been telling people is that we haven't talked in years. _He's good, I guess. I haven't talked to him in a while, but he's good._

"Is he still here in Gotham?"

Ha. Yeah_, he lives somewhere around here. I don't really remember where._ This wasn't a lie. He still was in Gotham, and I had trouble remembering where his hideout was.

"What kind of job does he have? I always thought he was going to go into politics, and become a police officer or something." Dad added in.

I almost spit my food out. Him, working in politics? When in fact he did exactly the opposite. _Um, no. I don't remember what he does. I think he works a lot with money._ It wasn't the full truth, but I still wasn't lying.

"Oh, like a bank teller?" mom asked, stopping to look up at my board. _Sure. Something like that. _"You know, we should have him over sometime. Christmas is coming up in a few weeks; maybe you could invite him over. I mean, we haven't seen him in a while too, and it would be nice to catch up. _I don't think so, but it was a nice gesture. _

"Well why not?" Dad piped up. "I've always like that boy. I always though he would rise into great power in Gotham." _Because Dad, Jack doesn't…. _I erased my board before I could finish. _Jack doesn't like talking to people anymore. He's had some problems. We should respect his wishes._

"Of course, dear. We wouldn't want to upset him." Mom said before going back to her knitting. No you wouldn't. I went back in my room, trying to pass time be reading some more of my old stories. I read, and then I wrote. Then read some more, and tore some of the pages out. Wrote some sentences, and then scribbled everything out. I couldn't focus for some reason. Too much was weighing in on my mind. But by the time twelve rolled around, I thought it would be a good time to basically visit the Joker so I could make sure that he knew I was okay. I was also hoping to figure some things out with him.

I changed my clothes, pulling on an old pair of jeans that strangely, still fit perfectly, and a white tank top with a bright yellow smiley face on it. I went into the bathroom and combed my hair, and adjusted anything else on my body. That's when I realized that I was primping myself. Lord have mercy on my soul. I stopped as soon as the realization came to me. Was I actually trying to make myself presentable for the Joker? He wouldn't care what I looked like. I slapped myself on the cheek, trying to get a grip on reality. I thought then, that maybe I shouldn't go. He would find out eventually that I was okay, so I didn't need to go show him. But, a part of me needed his presence. I needed to show him that I was okay before I did anything else.

I pulled on my black flats that I had from earlier, and grabbed my board and black pen. I moved in front of mom's view, messaging her. _Coat? Keys? _"Why, where are you going?" I simply just pointed back at the words. "Your keys are on the hook, and you can borrow my jacket. Jillien, where are you going?" I grabbed the keys and her jacket, erasing the board. _Out. _"Where out?" _Just out. _"Where?" _To Jack's._ "But I thought you said he doesn't see people." _But for me, I think he'll make an exception. _

"Maybe I should go with you." Dad chimed in. _No Daddy, I'll be fine. _"You're sure?" _Yes. See you in a little bit._

And with that, I erased the board and walked out the door. Now all had to do was remember where that mansion was. I remembered it being out practically in the middle of no where, and that I knew the way to it from New York, but I had no clue how to get there from here. So, I did all I could to at the time, which was drive aimlessly around and wish that God would grant me the fortune of finding it.

I think I was driving for over an hour, and I ended up getting lost on a completely different side of Gotham that I'd never seen so far. But, it seemed to be out in the middle of no where, which was a good sign. I didn't see anything for what seemed like hours, but then a small smile crept onto my lips. I had found it. That same place he had brought me all those weeks ago, kept me locked up like a dog, I was facing it with no fear. I would imagine that a sane person who knew what was in there would turn around, but then again, nothing I did anymore was sane.

I pulled up to the side of the curb, and collected myself before stepping out of the car. I was nervous, but it didn't scare me, it only made me more in tune to my surroundings. Then I thought, what if he wasn't there? I would have gone all the way out there for no reason. But I saw a van parked alongside the place, so I figured someone was there.

I quietly opened the door, the board and pen in my other hand, and stepped inside. I saw Jonathan snoring on the couch, and I reached out and jabbed his chest, startling him. He awoke confused, "What are you doing…." _Where is he?_ He pointed to a room upstairs, and I cautiously made my way up. I walked past the room where I stayed, and slowly walked down the hallway until I heard his voice coming from behind a door. My heart was threatening to burst out of my chest as I placed my free hand on the knob. Here goes nothing.

I swung the door open and then hurriedly closed it, not wanting Jonathan to hear from downstairs. He was sitting at a desk, scribbling something down on some paper, without a shirt on. As soon as I came in he jumped up from his work, confused as to why I had come. I then saw that he had a huge burn mark that extended from his shoulder down to his mid arm. It was an interesting brownish red color. I wondered if he got it while saving my life.

_Hey. _Was all I wrote on the board. He didn't say anything, biting his bottom lip feverishly. _I can't talk for a while. Damage to my vocal cords. _His eyes never left mine as I moved closer to him. He snatched to board out of my hand, and motioned for the pen. He scribbled something down on it, before handing it to me. It was all gibberish, and I couldn't tell what he wrote. I wiped it off,_ What? You really need to work on your penmanship. _He rolled his eyes before speaking, "I asked what you are doing here." _I came to show you that I was okay. _There was absolutely no emotion as he commented, "I know you're okay." _And to say thanks. For saving my life again._ "It's what I liiiivvveee for. I can play the hero sometimes you ya know."

I kept looking over at his burn mark. _Is that from getting me out? _He nodded his head. _Does it hurt? _"Like hell." All this wiping off had started to turn my fingers black. _Why don't you put something on it?_ "It doesn't hurt that bad." He placed an emphasis on the d in bad. There was an odd tension between us, and I desperately tried to break it. _I liked the bear. Thanks. _ He gave a half smile at that, and began scribbling something down in front of him, like he completely forgot I was there. "What I want to know is wwwhhyyy you were at that little gala." He roughly slammed his hands down onto the table and he began to yell, "Why would you go there? How did you, out of every single drunken idiot out there, become the one who nearly got herself killed!? I had to save your little tush again, and look at what it got me!" he shot his arm out in front of me before placing it back at his side. _You're going through a lot of trouble just to tell me you're glad I'm okay. _Something changed in his demeanor, and I could see his once brown orbs turn a shade of black.

He messily licked his lips while bringing his hand to his back pocket, then with a flick of his wrist, he flipped open his signature knife. He started to approach me, a wild look in his eyes. That was one of the most terrifying moments of my life. "You know, I could have left you to burn." He screeched as he brought the knife up to my neck. I started shaking uncontrollably. I always thought he would never hurt me, but in that instant, I wasn't so sure. "That would have left a lasting impression. Do you know what that is?" I shook my head, my glance falling to my feet, to wimpy to look into his eyes. "See, it would have been like this: It doesn't matter who the person is, friend or not, no one has authority over me. No one can control the mad dog that I am." I was helplessly pinned against the wall as the knife bit into my neck, the cold metal sending shards of pain throughout my body. I opened my mouth to scream out in horror, but no sound was made. He merely laughed, "See how easy it would be for me to end your life, right here, right now? And, added the bonus that your little talk box is…. messed up, no one would hear you. No one would think to come looking for you."

He finally removed the knife from my neck. Blood trickled down slowly from the small cut, only a little ounce of pain left. He was still cowering over me as I wrote: _But you won't do that. _Followed by a _BF?_ I had the courage, and looked back up at his scarred physique. "What make you think that I wouldn't…." I cut him off by tossing my board into his hands. _I have something that belongs to you. _My fingers roamed around my neck, unclasping the chain that lay around it. I pulled off his necklace, leaving mine in its position.

"How did you get this?" he roared, snatching it from me. _The doctors found it in my hand when you brought me to the hospital. _He shoved it into his pocket, "It must have fallen off." That shocked me. I quickly scribbled: _Fallen off? _"Yeah." _You've had it this whole time? _"Yeah." Was once again all he said. _Why?_ He slammed his hand on the wall near my head, but I didn't flinch. "What's with the third degree of-fic-er?" I held up the board in front of my face, pointing back at the _Why?_ "Because-ah. It has…. Sen-ti-men-tal value. Now, is that all you came here for?"

_No. _God, I was so nervous. I could feel my hand shaking as he leered at me. "Then what? I'm a very busy man." _I need to find something out. _"Make it quick." _Okay. _I set the board and pen on the ground, my heart a pounding. Lord give me strength, and forgive me for what I'm about to do. I closed my eyes before I out of nowhere brought my lips to his. I could sense his confusion because he started to move away, before actually returning the kiss. I could feel the scar on his bottom lip, and I reached my hands up to the sides of his face, gently tracing my fingers over his coarse scars. A fire burned inside of me, and I could feel butterflies as they fluttered throughout my stomach. I know I should feel this way. This was wrong.

It was when we broke apart that he asked, "What was that for?" I knew my cheeks had begun to flush, and I reached down and plucked up the board. _That was thanks for saving my life. _It was then that he leaned over and brushed his lips against mine. The second kiss was more passionate than the first, and he backed me all the way into the wall with his crushing force. I tore apart before serious things could happen, leaning my head against his shoulder as I scribbled onto the board. _What was that for?_ I held it up in front of my blushing face. He smiled and licked his lips, "I've saved your life more than once." _3? _I wrote before placing once small, gentle kiss on his lips. I began writing, but he pulled the board away from me, and tossed it to the ground. "I think it was more like four."

I smiled as he pushed his face into mine. Our mouths stayed still for sometime, before our lips began to move, and the kiss deepened. I was hesitant at first, but eventually I gave in and let him in. He seemed to explore every inch of my mouth, and in return, I adventured into his. Our mouths were wonders together, and I felt contempt. I knew at that moment that there was something I felt for him, even if I didn't know what it was yet. My suspicions were confirmed; there was something within him too, otherwise we wouldn't have been sharing this moment.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, and he placed his hands at my sides. Then things started to get very... steamy. After all, making out, and him without a shirt on. Heat was radiating from both of our bodies as we kissed, but I cautiously broke apart before anything could go any further. We were both fighting for oxygen, and I stumbled past him to pick up my board. _It was only 3! You didn't save me from Scarecrow. _"For future references." I turned back to him, and he began laughing at me. _What?_ He pointed his finger to his mouth, motioning it in a u-shaped form, like a smile. But he was referring to me. I brought my hand up to my mouth, and saw the red on my fingers. His paint was probably smeared all over my face. _Great. Thanks._ I got as much of it off as I could, and wrote: _I have to go. _He rolled his eyes, moving his arms in a fashion as if to say "Da fuck?" and I brought my pen to the board. _I told my parents I'd be home soon. That was an hour and a half ago._

"Aaaaannnnddd? You don't want to stay here with me?" I tried to laugh, but only a dry cough came out. _Ha Ha Ha Ha._ He snaked his arm around my waist, pulling me into his chest. He leaned near me so much that our checks were nearly touching. My heart began flutter even more as he whispered into my ear, "I'll def-in-ate-ly be seeing you later." He moved from me, back over to his desk. I didn't even know how to react. Should I have been happy at his emotions? Should I have been happy with mine?

I opened the door and exited, then made my way down the stairs. Jonathan gave me a weird look, but I brushed passed him. I left the house and quickly got into my car. I shut the door, brining my hands up to my temples and massaging them gently. Grabbing the board before driving off, I wrote: _What did I just get myself into?_

**SexyJokerLovers: ****Did anyone else's heart just stop? My heart just stopped.**** I'm dead. But, you guys can't die, because there's one more chapter for you to read this week! I really hoped you liked this one. Please tell me you did, because I will cry if it sucked.****_  
_****  
**


	17. Family Ties

**SexyJokerLovers:**** Please enjoy!**

I glanced into the rear view mirror, red paint still smudged across my mouth. I still couldn't believe what had just happened. One moment, he's threatening to kill me, then the next, we were kissing. I mean, that's just the kind of thing you can't write about. Kissing the Joker. I kissed the Joker. He kissed me back. We kissed multiple times. We made out. It sounded completely weird in my mind, but it didn't feel weird. It felt…. right. I wouldn't have been able to explain it if I tried. Something felt different with him. Anytime I kissed Crane, or any one of my other boyfriends, I never got that….. feeling that I got with him.

As I was driving home, my head was in a completely different place. I thought about us as friends, while he was still Jack. I would have recognized these feelings and we would have gotten together back in high school or college, would things be any different? Would he have still become the Joker? Then there was the question of who my heart was really beating for. I know they are the same person, but they are two completely different people. Jack was sweet, honest, and optimistic, he obviously cared about me, and he could always make me feel like I was the most important person in the world. The Joker, on the other hand, was arrogant, devious, manipulative, murderous, and vile. But on the inside, he was broken. He'd been ripped apart, like a rag doll, and tossed out onto the curb. No one cared about him. I was really the only person who cared about Jack, and after I left, he had no one. I wondered, was it all because of me? Was I the reason he became what he is today? Did I accidentally create this monster?

He came for me for help that night, that infamous night that he got his scars, well, scar. And I threw him away. I couldn't help it, I was hurting, and he was asking the most impossible of me.

Whatever, I didn't want to look back at what we once were, even though they were very memorable times. I still needed to figure out where we both stood now, and lord knows how that will go.

I found my way home, noting the directions to get back to his hideout. I wouldn't even call it a hideout. They were living large over there! It was a pretty good ruse I have to admit, because no one would suspect a grimy, villainous criminal like the Joker would keep hidden in a place so bold.

As I climbed out of my car, I grabbed my board and was met immediately by a concerned mom and dad. "Jillien Barrette Harding! What on earth took you so long?"

"We have been worried sick!" Dad exclaimed as he led me through the door. "You said you'd be back soon, and it's been an hour and thirty minutes!" _Guys, please calm down. I stayed longer than I expected. _I saw a horrid expression latch itself onto dad's face. "Honey, what's that?" he pointed at my neck. The blood was dried, but there was still a small cut. I had forgotten all about it. _Nothing, I accidentally slipped and fell. _

"So you fell and hit your neck?" mom questioned, "Maybe we should take you to the hospital and get that checked out. We don't want anything else damaged to your throat." I brushed past both of them, slightly annoyed. _No, it's fine. It doesn't even hurt. _Erase. _I'll be fine. _I left both of them and went to the bathroom to clean myself up. I wiped the dried blood off, and dabbed a bit of rubbing alcohol onto it to cleanse it. It made me wince, but there wasn't much pain. Placing a Band-Aid on it, I silently crept into my room. I crawled onto the bed, and buried myself deep within the covers. I drew many random doodles on the dry erase board, hoping to put my mind at ease.

Dad came in a short while later, sitting on the bed next to me. He seemed disappointed somewhat. I don't know if it was towards me, or something else. "Jillien, is everything okay?" _Of course. Why? _"Because you seem a bit, agitated. Did something happen when you went to go see Jack?" That was an understatement. _No. we just talked is all. _ "Look, honey, I need to be honest with you. Your mom and I, we're worried about you." _Why? _"Because, you seem different lately. And we're not the only ones who've noticed it." _Nothing's different. I'm fine. _"You're just not that little girl I remembered." Now that got me extremely annoyed, of course I wasn't the same! I'm not a little girl anymore. _Dad! _Erase. _I've grown up! I'm an adult now. Of course I've changed a little bit._ He rose from my bed, "See, this is what I'm talking about. You never used to act out like this." _Can I please be alone for a while?_ He scoffed at me, heading for the door. "Alone. You know, the first time that happened you broke your mother's heart. Every year, whether it was Thanksgiving, Christmas, your birthday, your mom cried herself to sleep at night because you never wanted to come visit us. Just be grateful you have someone that cares about you." And with that, he stormed out of my room.

I could feel my eyes beginning to water, but I stopped them before the tears could fall. I really needed someone to talk to right now. The Joker was a no, because I'd already seen him once today, and I don't think he'd understand with family issues. So, I did the only thing I could think of and texted Miranda. When she visited me in the hospital, she begged me that she could take me out to lunch. It was extremely last minute, but I texted her anyway. I would have called, but, no voice. _Last minute, but I really need a friend right now. Do you think we can me somewhere for lunch? _I waited a couple of minutes for her to reply. _Sure thing. How about at the little place at 100 52__nd__ Street?_ I texted back: _Sounds great. See you in a few. _

I remembered that when I was younger, I always random amounts of money under my mattress. I forgot all about it when I went off the college. I wondered if they were still there as I lifted up the mattress. Sure enough, they were untouched. I counted $74.83, and I took it all, just in case something comes up. I quickly thrust my arms into mom's jacket, grabbing my keys and the dry erase board. I strolled out of the house without even mentioning where I was going, and neither of them asked.

Within minutes I was seated inside at a booth in the back of the small restaurant, one I've never been to before, awaiting my friend. She came in a couple minutes after I did, and set her coat down next to mine. "Gotham's getting colder by the minute. But I've yet to see snow, which is odd."

That was odd. Usually around the middle of November it starts to snow, and it was already December 17. Snow _is still a no show. That makes me sad because this is my favorite time of the year, and snow is what I love most about it._

"That's not the only thing that's been making you sad." A waitress come over and handed us menus, before we gave her our drink orders. "Now, you said you needed a friend right now. I'm all ears."

I glanced over my menu, creating a metal note that I would order a Caesar salad when the waitress came back. I was reluctant to talk to Miranda, but I would have called her here for nothing, so I set my menu aside_. I learned today that I'm not really the person I used to be._ Erase._ My dad said something about him and mom, and how I had hurt them. _Erase. _And now I feel like I'm not a good daughter._

"What did you do to hurt them?" _Jack and I, we had a falling out sort of, because he started doing things that he shouldn't. _Erase. _After that, I isolated myself from the world, not completely, but everyone I used to talk to on a daily basis just became background noise. _Erase. _Apparently my mom cried every year because I never came around. _ Miranda reached across the table, resting her hand on top of mine. "I'm sure it seems worse than it really is Jillien." She snatched it away as the waitress came over, handing her an ice tea, and me a lemonade. "Hey, they know you love them. I'm sure this thing will all blow over soon. I mean, Christmas is like a week away, it brings people closer."

"Are you girls ready to order?" the waitress hovered over us. Her top was unbuttoned way too low, leaving us with quite a sight as we ordered.

"I'll have a club sandwich with tomato soup please." Miranda ordered. I wrote on the board while the waitress was getting Miranda's order. _Caesar salad please. _"Anything else I can get you ladies?" _No thank you. _"Alright, I'll get your order in a minute."

Both of us burst out laughing as she left. Well mine was a silent chortle. "Holy cow, she really needs to put something else on!" _I know! I was so afraid they were going to fall out of her shirt!_ "Right? If you're going out into public, you need to strap them things down!" We both sat there with our chaotic laughter, hers making people stare at our booth. _Sh sh! People are staring! _"Let them stare! They just don't know how to have fun like we do!" We both calmed down after that, until the waitress brought our food. I held my hand over my mouth, while Miranda used every ounce of strength she had to keep her lips pressed together. _Thanks. _I wrote as she walked off. It wasn't until she disappeared into the kitchen that we burst out again. Most of the people seating around us either left, or asked to be moved to a different table. I didn't care though; I was having too much fun. Miranda really helped to take my mind off of things with my parents.

Once we calmed ourselves down, she spoke, "So, maybe your parents were right. You seem do seem different, but in a good way. You seem happier now that you aren't worrying about your parents. Anything you want to share with the class Ms. Harding?"

I swallowed a big piece of my salad. _What? Psh…. I'm just as sad as ever._ She set her spoon down; giving me a glare that told me she didn't buy it. "No, no, no. Something happened. The question is…. What?" _Nothing happened. I'm the same as I usually am. _"Girl, don't give me that BS. I now something's got you on a high. There's a little sparkle in your eye that wasn't there before. Now spill."

For some reason, I couldn't get my mouth to stop smiling. It was like it was physically impossible in that moment. _I didn't do anything. _"You know I'm going to keep bugging you until you tell me. C'mon. Was it a guy?" as soon as she said the word 'guy' my cheeks immediately began to swell with heat. I'm sure if I looked in a mirror I would have seen to red orbs circulate my face. "It was a guy! Who? I need deats, everything." She leaned onto the table, and I couldn't meet her gaze because I felt so embarrassed. I couldn't hide that was what it was anymore, but I did hide who it was. I wouldn't have written: _Oh yeah, I kissed the Joker a few times. No big deal. _Instead, the board read: _A good girl never kisses and tells._ That sent her into a wild stampede of questions that I left unanswered, much to her disliking.

"Please tell me who he is!" she kept begging. I only laughed, taunting her with my silence. _Look at that soup! That is some nice soup. _I wrote, trying to get her off of the guy subject. "So, you kissed this mystery guy?" I was almost finished with my salad, when a question popped into my mind. _What about you? Is there any special guy in your life?_ This was only followed by silence, as she bent her head over and looked down at her almost empty bowl. _I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?_ I could see that her eyes began to get watery, and she was on the verge of gushing. "No, it's not you. It's just…." She had to stop to dry her eyes. "My husband was killed a couple of months ago. He was stabbed or something. I don't know."

_I'm so sorry, I didn't know._ I wrote before latching onto her hand, trying to give her some comfort, even though I never knew how to handle situations like this. I always ended up hurting the person even more, when the whole time I was just trying to make them feel better.

"I know, it's not your fault. I probably should have told you sooner but, yeah." She finished drying her eyes, and I felt really, really bad for her. I couldn't imagine losing a loved one like that. I didn't know how to cheer her up, so I did the only thing I could think of. _It was Jack._ I probably shouldn't have written it, but I didn't think there was any other way to make her feel better. "What was Jack?" I moved my head to the side which said, "Jack was the one." Her mouth immediately gaped open. She was completely shocked by the look on her face. "When, but I thought you guys never talked anymore." _We didn't, but I decided to pay him a visit to tell him about me being in the hospital. _Erase. _One thing led to another and….._

"See! I told you! He's loved you from the first time he laid eyes on you!" _Oh, hush. _"No! This is huge! I knew ya'll would end up together somehow!" the waitress came back to collect our dishware, and set the bill down on the table. I reached out to take it, but Miranda snatched it out from under my hand. "No, no, no! I told you this was going to be my treat." She handed her credit card over to the waitress, and she stumbled over to the cash register to ring it up. "So, after all these years, you and Jack finally got together." _I wouldn't say we're together._ "Oh then what would you call it then?" _Let's call it a mutual agreement._

The waitress came back a little bit after, handing over the check to Miranda. _I'm leaving the tip. _I scribbled down. As Miranda rose up, she lowered her voice, "Tell her there's a thing called bras, and she should try it sometime." I playfully nudged her on the shoulder before dropping down three dollars. We both exited the place, and I'm betting everyone on the inside was crying tears of joy that the Looney girls had left.

We both went separate ways in the parking lot, but I turned back to her when I heard her yell from a few cars down, "Tell Jack I said hi!" I gave her a fake smile. There was no way I was going to say anything to him about her. I don't think he'd appreciate me telling people about us. If there was an us.

With Christmas around the corner, and my still feeling bad about the ordeal with my parents, I decided to get them something. I drove down to the galleria, a place I hadn't been to in a long time. I think the last time I was there I was fifteen years old, and a bunch of people from my class had all come down to go ice-skating. It wasn't Jack's cup of tea, so I was there pretty much solo.

I came across a small shop that looked new, or it might have just been new to me. It was full of snow globes, the most magnificent ones I've ever see. They were so, gorgeous. I don't think I've seen anything else so pretty in my entire life. They all looked like something out of a Thomas Kinkade painting. I looked through all of them, hoping to buy one for mom. They were all so expensive, but they were all in my budget of $70. Then my eyes caught onto one that was so precious it made me want to cry.

The inside was full of snow covered trees, and there was a sleigh with amazing white horses pulling it. Seated in the sleigh was what I could tell was a mother and a father, with a small child in between them. On the bottom that held the globe, it was hand-crafted with knick knacks such as reeves, candy canes, and more snowy trees. On the side of the base was a small turner and I wound it up. An instrumental version of There's No Place like Home for The Holidays came on. I had to buy it. I looked at the price tag, which read $49.99. I was sold. It was fate, I just knew it. I gently brought it over to the sales counter, and a man rung it up.

"This is one of my favorite ones. It reminds me of times with my family when I was younger." He pressed a number of buttons on the register, "Would you like us to gift wrap it from an extra $5?" I nodded my head, heck why not? He went around to the other side of the store, where there was an array of wrapping paper, bows, and other assortments. "Pick anything you want, and I'll wrap it for you." I chose white paper that had many different winter animals on it. "Good choice." Then I handed him a golden bow. He wrapped in expert time, and did a really good job on it. But then again he's probably done this multiple times a day. I followed him back to the register, where he added up my total. "Your total is going to be $59.79." I mouthed out "thank you" to him, because I left the dry erase board in my car, and handed him six, ten dollar bills. "So, who's this for?" I mouthed out the word "parents", while he handed me my change. "Are you not able to talk?" he asked concerned. I was only able to shake my head no, and tap on my throat. "Oh, I'm sorry." He handed me the perfectly wrapped box, and I began to walk out. "Happy Holidays." I gave him a smile and winked before I left to store. I couldn't wait to see the looks on their faces once they saw the snow globe. Maybe then they could forgive me for all the years of not being there with them.

I didn't really want to go home yet, to I took the escalator down to the ice rink. They were performing The Nutcracker on Ice, so I took a seat in the audience and watched the show for a while.

* * *

The Joker was completely giddy and full of amusement when he had gotten the call to come back to the meeting place of the mob from yesterday. Everyone around him was scared shitless when they saw him chuckling to himself and bouncing up and down in his seat.

The entire table, composed of the same people from last time, the living ones, were all gathered around because their boss needed to speak with the Joker again. They however, did not utter a single word as the Clown Prince of Crime stoked fear into every single one of their souls.

When the TV screen was brought to the table, the masked man once again appeared, with his same alien tone. "Greetings, friend." The man directed toward the Joker. "We seem to have a bit of a conundrum."

"Such as?" The Joker sneered.

"Our money has been counted, and it seems we are missing a relatively small amount. 15 million." The man on the screen adjusted his mask before continuing, "Unless my men dare to steal from themselves…."

"What are you trying to say?" The joker cut him off. "That I'm a thief?"

"I'm just saying that you were the only person to touch that money besides them." The man paused, before continuing, "Now, if you were to just give us the money, then we might forget about this whole ordeal, and we'll let you leave with your life."

This completely unfazed the Joker, as he has been threatened by death many times before. "Now listen here, Mr. uh… Mask. I didn't steal your money. You had already given me a share…. And everyone here already knows that money isn't important to me."

"I want my money back Joker, or your going to pay me with your life." He exclaimed into the camera. "Boys." And with that signal, four of the men pounced on the Joker, two holding his arms down, while the other two held guns aimed at his head. The Joker was still, unfazed by everything. He only smiled back at the television screen. "I see you do not fear death. But perhaps, you fear for whomever death is brought upon."

"Which would be?" The Joker giggled. But then, through the screen the masked man held up a small headshot of a girl. He immediately recognized her, but he didn't show it. The picture was of Jill. "Never seen her before." He lied into the camera, thinking that they would stop in the direction that they were heading.

"This woman, you've never seen her before?" The Joker shook his head. "Hm. Then it would not affect you at all if her mangled body was found floating along in the sewage system, would it?" the Joker glared back at the man. "Don't play coy with me. I have eyes and ears all over this city. I know who she is. Jillien Harding, 26, lives at 2175 Field Dr. New York, New York. Recently unemployed from The New York Times. Funny, she was fired the exact same day as the accident happened. Was recently release from Gotham General after she was caught in the fire from Bruce Wayne's winter Ball, a fire that you caused. Is staying with her parents at this very moment. Need I go on?"

The Joker by that time had begun to flip his lid. "Look, I'm the one who you want dead, not her. So just, kill me. I won't tell anyone it was you." He laughed; because of course he wouldn't be able to tell anyone if he was dead. He just wanted, no needed for Jill to be alive. "Forget all about her, and give your guys the order to take me out. C'mon."

But the man on the screen merely chuckled to himself. "I'm sorry friend; it seems that I already had a few of my boys leave to escort your lady to death's gate. They should be arriving any moment now with word of her. Oh, and we're not going to kill you. That would just take the fun out of everything. And we know how you like to have fun."

* * *

Two men came to her door dressed as the police, even though they were exactly the opposite. They both pounded their large fists against the door, making noises loud enough to shake the entire block. The door swung open, and Jill's mom met the men at the door. "Ms. Harding?"

"Yes, what can I help you boys with?" she didn't know what to think they were here for, but a thought immediately came to her mind: Jillien.

"Ma'am, may we come in?" she agreed, and the two bulky men crammed through the door. "Ma'am, we have some news about the Joker." She closed the door, blocking the rest of the world out.

**SexyJokerLovers: So, I just realized that I have minor characters named after other major characters in the Dark Knight Series. Let's see, the Joker's Jonathan, and Jonathan Crane. Miranda Johnson, and Miranda Tate. I am so sorry if there was any confusion... If it helps, there is going to be no more Crane, and no Miranda Tate in this story. I bid you all adieu. **


	18. A Cruel Joke

**SexyJokerLovers:**** Sorry for the lateness of this update! I had finals, and then my brother was taken to the hospital because he had an allergic reaction to some medication... oh things have just been so cray-cray! Well, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. Is it sad that all I got were Batman comics? The one's with the Joker of course. Anyone reading The Death of A Family series? It's so good!**_  
_

_Four Years Previous…. _

It was her senior year in college. Her last year had finally come. Jill was so ecstatic. Nothing was going to stop her from getting her diploma in a couple of weeks. Unless of course she failed her finals of course, which, unless she hit her head and lost all of her memory in one night, would never happen. She had worked to hard for this to let it all fall from her grasp. She had earned so many scholarships over the years because of how much of a hard worker she was, and now it was all going to pay off. Her majoring in journalism was working her dry, but that was okay because it was what she loved to do.

The only thing that ruined her being happy about the last weeks of school was Jack. For no apparent reason, he had dropped out months ago. It was concerning to Jill, and when she asked him about it, he would change the subject and ask her not to bring it up again. Something was bothering him, but he never seemed to pay any attention to her concern.

The apartment Jill was renting with her roommate Rebecca looked like a tornado had swept through it. World history notes and biology reviews were scattered along the floor, as well as textbooks which were flipped open and not currently being used. Jill was alone that night; Rebecca was out with her boyfriend for their two year anniversary. It was a night of cramming and reviewing for Jill though, so much that she contemplated bringing her work in the bathroom so she could study while taking a shower. But all the stress and work was getting to her, and she began to doze off at around eight o'clock.

She was woken up a short while later from the slam of her apartment door. Half expecting it to be Rebecca, she kept her eyes closed and hoped she wouldn't bother her tonight. When she felt the hot breath hit her in the face like a ton of bricks, her eyes sprung open revealing none other than Jack.

"Good morning sunshine." He yelped. "Or, I should say goodnight." His blond curls were bouncing with joy, even though his face had no ounce of any emotion. Something looked like it was weighing in on his mind, and he was trying to keep it hidden.

"Jack, what's the matter?" she asked groggily, sitting herself up from the couch. "You look like you've seen a ghost or something."

He didn't answer, only moving her textbooks from off the couch and seating himself on it. "What's with all the crap every where?"

Jill messily rubbed her sleep filled eyes, and out stretched her arms to the side. "Finals are in a couple of weeks, I have to use any free time I have to study. They say these last finals are the hardest ones you'll ever have to take."

He looked disgusted as he leaned back into the sofa, still looking unhappy. With what, Jill didn't know. "You know…. If you would have followed in my footsteps, you wouldn't be here right now."

"Yes, and when you're working at a minimum wage job like McDonalds or something, I'll be there laughing and repeating, 'I told you so.'" She tried to joke with him, but he was still out of it. "Jack, tell me what's wrong. You're not your usual self. I don't know if it's something I did, or what, but I feel like you're mad at me for some reason." He didn't even so much as give a hint of recognition to what she had just asked. It was like he was off in his own world, and he had blocked everything else out. "Jack!" she screamed, finally getting his attention. "Are you even listening to the words coming out of my mouth? I'm concerned for you! You won't even talk to me anymore! What is going on with you?"

He lowered his gaze onto her, bearing a hateful look from his brown eyes to hers. She had never seen him act like this before, and it was startling to say the least. He gave her an unattractive scowl, but it didn't stop her from trying to figure out this situation. "Don't look at me like." She hissed. "Jack, I hardly ever see you smile anymore, just tell me it's not something I did."

"It's not you tiger, calm down." He changed his attitude from hateful to pity in seconds. "This new job I got is just keeping me… out later than I should be, let's put it that way."

"You got a new job?" Jill was still concerned for him, but she was trying her best not to sound it. "What is it?"

"Nothing important." Was his flat out reply.

"Well if it keeps you out late and you seemed stressed out all the time….."

"What are you my wife?" he cut her off. "Look, I appreciate your concern, but you shouldn't worry about me. I'm a grown man and can take care of myself thank you very much."

"No, I didn't mean it like that." She tried to explain. "And besides, I'm your best friend and I know you better than anyone else. It's my job to look out for you, whether you like it or not."

He chuckled slightly. The first real attempt at a smile Jill had seen in ages. "I know."

She pulled him into a warm embraced, glad he was finally opening up a bit. She knew there was still something pressing in his mind, but she decided not to pester him about it anymore. "See, there's the Jack I'm friends with. But really, you ought to smile more." She brought her hands to his face and curved his mouth upwards with her fingers. "A smile can light up even the darkest of places." Little did she know that what she said would have the greatest affect on both of them, as well as every single inhabitant of Gotham.

"I have to go." He left her standing alone in her apartment after that, not wasting his breath on talking to her anymore. It was funny to him how much she seemed to care, or cared too much. But he could never reveal to her what he was actually doing. To make a long story short, he's been taking small jobs around the narrows from mobsters, gangsters, and anyone else who was willing to hire him. He got paid for a wide variety of different things, from robbery to drug deals (even though he thought they were useless) and nicking people off. Yes, he had killed people before. He wasn't ashamed to call himself a murderer, because in Gotham, it's either kill or be killed.

He had a job to do tonight, a most interesting job indeed. It would definitely be one to tell the kids. Well, not really. A man named Salvatore Maroni had put out word that he wanted a Mr. John Napier dead for $500,000 because the man had been smuggling money from him for several years now without being caught. When news got around to Jack, he quickly stepped up. It was a big risk, killing his own father, but hey, he didn't have much to lose, and let's face it, after all the years of abuse and crap he's taken from his dad, this revenge would just taste so….. Delicious.

It was around eleven o'clock when Jack had reached his childhood home. It was still in poor condition; paint peeling, trash everywhere, and the overpowering aroma of liquor dissatisfied his nose once he entered the complex. This was going to be quick and easy. One gun shot to the head and boom, dead. Jack would collect his reward, and the monster that had tormented him all of these years would finally get his.

He had come in quietly, careful not to disturb his dear old daddy. Little did he know his father was waiting for him, nestled on a ratty old couch that looked like it was just pulled from the dump. "Gee, Jack this is a wonderful surprise." He laughed as he took a swig from his beer bottle. "Back for a little family reunion you little shit?" his father set down his bottle and pulled out a small handgun from his pocket, aiming it directly at Jack's head. "I heard you were dropping by. A friend told me about Maroni's deal with you Jack." He stood up, a little off balance, while Jack just hovered in the doorway. Eventually, he pulled out his gun, directly pointing at his father's heart. "Come to kill your old man Jackie-boy? This is the thanks you want to give me for raising you, all these years?" he was beginning to slur his words.

"Sorry pops, this isn't personal." He mucked up the courage to retaliate. "On second thought, it is." with a shaky finger, he gently caressed the thin trigger that stood between his father's life and death. One movement. BANG.

Before his dad had any time to react, the bullet had shot through his chest. Jack felt a sinister smile creep onto his lips; he found the death of someone he utterly despised so satisfying.

Jack tucked his gun into is coat pocket, and quickly made his way out of the house when he was met by two burly men outside the front door. They had both looked like they had gotten the crap beaten out of them, and they had smelled heavily of cigars. "Going somewhere kid?" one man grumbled, a scar right under his left eye bulging out. Both men held semi-automatics at their sides, and Jack pulled out his weapon to meet theirs. "You really think we're threatened by that little thing?"

Jack didn't fully apprehend the situation; he thought these guys were something he could eat for breakfast. He chuckled softly, but was silenced when he felt the sharp cold tip of a blade pressed up against his spine. "Put down the gun Jackie. Let's have a talk, man to man." His father stood behind him, not dead, just wounded badly. Even though blood poured from his shoulder, he kept a smiling face poised at his son before him. "It's going to take a lot more than that to kill me you shit-head." The man hissed, nodding his head to his friends in from of Jack.

They immediately began their attack, swinging their arms wildly, knocking Jack's gun to the ground, and dragged him around to the side of the old house. Jack wouldn't go down without a fight though. With the two guys at his sides and his dad glaring down at him from in front of him, Jack shot his left leg out, sweeping his dad, his face colliding with the pavement. Before the other men had a chance to react, Jack kneed one guy in the crotch, while head-butting the other in the nose; he heard a loud crack, and knew he had broken it. Both men let go of him and stumbled back, one holding his balls as the other held his nose while tears flooded his vision. Jack saw this as an opportunity to get his gun, but before he could reach it, a hand slumped out and pulled his leg out from under him. The force from his body stumbling down onto the ground almost knocked him out, but he willed himself to keep consciousness. A great pounding erupted from the side of his head, and he could feel the blood trickling down.

The two men had both shoved their guns to the back of his head, and were about to pull their triggers when they were stopped by Jack's father. "No! This mother fucker is mine." His friends backed away, and John turned his son around to face his cold stare. "Jackie boy, your beef is with me, not my friends." His hot, alcohol enriched breath stung Jack's nose; he wanted to just pass out right there. "I think it's only fair since you hurt my friends I hurt yours." Jack's eyes narrowed at his father's, giving him a deathly glare. He was going to kill him. "Boys, let's see if we can't find his little girlfriend, what was her name again Jack?"

Jack writhed underneath his dad's clutches, while the guys behind him laughed aloud. "I don't remember her name, but do I remember that nice ass." He had struck a nerve inside Jack, whose anger was gradually rising. "The stupid asshole might have the little cunt's picture somewhere in the house. Go find it." The two men left the father and son to their battle, and Jack was putting all his strength into trying to get his 200- something pound father off of him. "Jack you don't know how many times I've imagined that bitch with my dick up her ass, screaming and begging for mercy." The two guys came out holding a small picture, showing it to Jack's dad. "Yeah, that's her. What's her name Jackie?"

"Jillien Harding." Came from the guy with the scar. "Her name's on the back of the picture."

"Find her and bring her to me," he turned back to Jack as the guys piled into a black car, "tonight she's going to make all my dreams CUM true." That was all Jack could take. He slipped one of his hands from under his dad's grip, and grabbed his neck, squeezing it tightly between his fingers. His other hand came out after, and roughly pushed his father off of him. "What's the matter? Scared I'll bone her before you do?"

Jack was getting dizzy from the amount of blood loss he received from his probably cracked skull, but he could still put up a fight. "You sick bastard." He swung madly at his father, hitting him countless times in the jaw and the stomach. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as his dad snatched a beer bottle from off the ground. Before he could move away, Jack felt the impact of the glass as it hit the same spot that collided with the pavement minutes ago. He would have been able to take a hit like that, but the fact it was the same blow as before, his head couldn't handle it anymore. He was still awake as he fell back to the ground. His mind was spinning and his vision was blurring and his dad, bloodied and bruised once again pinned him down to the ground.

"Where's the witty little turd your whore of a mother gave birth to? Where's the Joker?" he pulled a small blade from his pocket, pressing it down on Jack's cheek. "Let's put a smile on that face!" he slowly slid the blade into his mouth, laughing as he jerked it upwards, ripping the flesh that held Jack's jaw together. The immense pain shot throughout his mouth, and he tried to scream, but all that came out were gurgles from the blood submerging his mouth. John pulled the soaked knife from his son's mouth, a crazed look in his eye as Jack's hands flew to his face, trying to hold the marred skin together. "Why so serious?" his father roared down at his bleeding son.

He made the mistake of letting the knife out of his hands for only a second, letting it fall to the floor. With every ounce of energy he had left, Jack quickly gripped the knife, and plunged it into his dad's throat. Blood soon splattered from his neck and mouth, and Jack dug the knife in deeper, feeling the life drain slowly and painfully from his father. The stiff body fell backwards, and Jack kicked him over. He dragged himself from off the ground, one hand still clutching his face in unbearable pain. He still wielded the knife, messily wiping both of their blood onto his pants. He had to find the other two guys before they got to Jill. He couldn't even imagine what they would do to her once they got her. All he could think of were ways to kill them with his bare hands. He stumbled into the ratty home, blood still spilling, but the pain easing up as the torn flesh around his mouth started to go numb. He hastily made his way into his old room, locating a needle and thread that he stored there for when his father took his rage out on him. A half smile spread along the right side of his mouth, the side not numb, as he thought about how his dad was lying beside the house: dead. He loved the feeling he got as he watched his father's life slowly leave him. He's glad the gun didn't kill him and the knife did; using a knife gave him more power. He could savor everything that a gun wouldn't do.

He felt different after that moment. As he stitched up the left side of his mouth, he felt like a new person. Like there was someone inside of him that wanted to come out all these years. He felt it when he used to get in fights when he was a kid, or when he was face to face to either a gun or a knife. Now he had let it out, and as his eyes traveled from the red splattered sink up to the mirror where the left side of his face held a rigid smile, he knew who he had been for so long was diminishing slowly. He needed to get to Jill first before he'd go after his dad's friends. She'd understand him and his feelings. She knew him better than anyone, even himself.

* * *

You know, guys really shouldn't wear tights. It makes them look like a girl prancing around in it. It might be just me, but in my opinion it makes them look gay. I know some girls go gaga seeing all the crevices and a man, but I'm sorry, I don't want to see their junk bulging out like that. Other than that it was a good show. The Nutcracker has always been one of my favorite things about this time of year, so I can just cross it off my list of things to do.

I started feeling something different when I began to exit the galleria. I don't know what it was, or if I like it or not. I can't really explain what I was feeling, or why. It was a weird sensation I got in the pit of my stomach, but I paid no attention to it. I was glancing down at the wrapped gift I held, hoping my parents would appreciate it. I just want everything to be okay with us, you know? I don't want them to hate me. I just felt so messed up all those years ago, I never knew it affected my parents this much.

Tears were stinging the sides of my eyes, but I held them back as I stepped outside. Something had definitely changed. The air was different, and it felt like it had gotten colder. I was walking to my car when I felt something cold flutter onto my skin. I looked down, and saw a small white piece of fluff melt onto my skin. I turned my head up to look at the sky, and hundreds more began to fall. Snow. Finally it began to snow. Maybe that's what I was feeling. This was good. I knew it was going to be a good day. I couldn't help but smile up at absolutely nothing.

When I reached my car, I carefully placed the gift on the passenger's seat before hopping in myself. A sharp stinging sensation coursed through my leg, and I yelped out. First of all, ouch from the pen that jabbed me in the side, and second of all, that was the first time I'd heard the sound of my own voice in four days! Oh this was turning out to be an awesome day! Listen to me, I sounded like a five year old. Chalk up another point for my insanity level.

I tested my throat a bit, even though I probably should have let it rest a while more, and it sounded extremely hoarse by the time I was done with it. Hey, I would take sounding like a hippo over having no ability to talk at all.

* * *

This situation felt all too familiar as the Joker sat at the table, men holding him back with their guns. The masked person before him was threatening to kill Jill. His Jill. None of them would make it out of there alive if he had anything to say about it.

It was then that two police officers waltzed in, their uniforms stained with blood. They were smiling and were carefree as they sat down at the table before them. The Joker's glared lowered onto them, but they paid no attention to him. He snarled in their direction, one of his eyes twitching and his nostrils flaring with a mixture of anger and heart wrenching sadness.

"Hey boss, we got the lady taken care of." One man said all excited, like he was a dog begging to receive a treat. "And her husband."

That halted everyone in the room, who had to take a second thought to what the man had just proclaimed. "What do you mean her husband? She's not married."

"Yeah, they were a little old couple." The other man piped in matter-of-factly.

"You idiots!" the alien voice came from the screen, outraged at the carelessness of his men. "You were supposed to knock off her!" the picture of Jill was held up to the screen.

The Joker was still held down, but the realization flew onto him that Jill wasn't dead. Yet. He needed to get to her before they could "knock her off" as the man had put it. "Sorry boss, we asked for a Ms. Harding like you asked…."

"Forget the apology, I'll do it myself!" the man burst out before the screen faded to black. The other men were confused as of what to do now. The Joker was there, but what were they suppose to do with him? Their boss never gave them exact orders. And then, he began to laugh, a curdling laugh that truly terrified all of the men that were seated around him.

"Oh, you guys." The Joker laughed out. "This has been real fun, but I'm afraid I have to be leaving you now." The guys didn't say anything, but one dared to laugh because they knew he wasn't leaving their sights. But in a flash, a gun was drawn to the Joker's side, and within seconds every last mob member in the room was lying and the ground. You could sat he left in a huff after that.

* * *

Home. Parents. Parents. Home. Excitement. Worry. Hopeful. Devastation. Love. Laugh. Joy. Sadness. Blood. Broken.

I could tell you what had happened when I reached my house, but I'm sure you already figured it out.

I was beginning to fall apart.

I found them there, lying in puddles of their own blood.

I was breaking.

It seemed like I couldn't stop throwing up.

Like a small toy that a reckless child got too rough with.

I cried.

I was ripped apart.

I was stained with their blood.

I think a part of me died there with them.

I couldn't stop screaming.

Broken.

911 had been called, but I wasn't paying attention to them. I couldn't stop looking at the lifeless bodies before me.

Life's a funny thing you know. One moment someone's there, the next they're gone. They become a dream. Like they never really existed at all. I don't think I ever existed. I think I was a story someone had made up as a joke to tell their kids. Joke. Jokes were funny. I would love to have heard a joke at that moment. I was a joke. My life, everything I've ever worked or suffered for was all one big joke. I would have laughed it my tears were overflowing. I crawled into the corner of the living room, clutching my knees which were pulled into my chest, when the door burst open.

But my eyes never moved from their bodies. It was like I was in a trance. Even as the figure was reaching out for me, my eyes never left them. I knew who it was once I saw a flash of purple. But I wasn't paying attention to anything he was saying. I could tell he was yelling, but my senses weren't tuned into him. I heard the sirens outside the door, but he didn't even look up. "You'd better go." I whispered. "They might think it was you."

I could hear the footsteps heightening outside the house, and he finally sprang through the back door. He got out right as the front door opened again. Everything seemed to be in slow motion, as a blur of blue and black swarmed through the house, pointing guns and shouting. One man grabbed me by the shoulders, leading me out of the house. I could through my haze two ambulances, three police cars, and neighbors that were crowding around the scene. I heard gasps as I was lead into the back of one of the squad cars, and one of the officers placed a wool blanket around my back. I took one look through the window back at my home as the car drove off.

Everything was still a giant blur when the car pulled into what I could tell was the MCU. The cop that had brought me there was saying something to me, whether it was important or not, I wasn't listening. My mind was still flashing with the images of my parents. Dead. They're dead. Was it my fault? Did I bring this upon them? How could this have happened to them? What happened to their gift? The snow globe I bought them, what did I do with it? Did I drop it? Did I set it down somewhere?

I finally began to become in tune with the world around me when I was pulled from the police car and was placed in a seat somewhere within the building. I held the blanket firmly around my blood covered body, staring off into the distance as Commissioner Gordon sat down in front of me. "Ms. Harding, I know this is traumatizing for you, and I'm terribly sorry for your loss. I know it seems like we just did this yesterday, but can you answer some questions for me?"

"Snow globe." I told him, hoping he would know what I meant.

"What do you mean by 'snow globe'?" he asked, confused by my lack of sense of the world around me.

"I… I bought for them…" I started yammering. "Where is it? They have to get it back." My voice was still hoarse.

"Is it at your house Jillien?" I nodded my head yes wildly, fighting back more tears. "I'll make sure someone gets it back to you." I couldn't hold the tears any longer and they crashed down onto my cheeks, and dripped along my already soaked shirt. The commissioner immediately jumped to my side holding me in a warm embrace. I clasped my hand over my mouth to keep from sounding like I was choking, and cried into his shoulder. "I'll be right back." He stated after a while, and met another detective behind me. He spoke low, but I could still hear him, "Can you see if we can get her a change of clothes? We'll need to take hers down to evidence. And can you see if there's anyone we can call to come down and get her?"

"Yes Commissioner." The guy agreed as he trotted off in the other direction.

The Commissioner came back around to me, a sorrowful expression upon his face, "We're getting something for you to change into. Now, I'm going to ask you some questions. If they feel too rushed, please let me know and we can stop. I know what you're going through is hard. No one should have to experience it."

He opened his mouth to speak, but I stopped him before he could ask his first question, "You didn't tell them to get the snow globe."

"You're right, I'm sorry. I'll get right on that. Sit tight." As if I had any other choice. I started thinking about what would happen to me now. I'd try to forget of course, but where would I go? No parents, no other friends. I needed to get out of Gotham as soon as possible. This place was just too full of misery and despair. "Have you found anything yet?" I heard the commissioner ask in barely a whisper.

"Nothing. She has no other family members. She was apparently staying with her parents because of the fire at the Winter Ball. She lives in New York, but I don't know where she'll be during the investigation." The other guy responded with.

"Does she have any friends in the area that could take her in?" the commissioner asked. "Never mind, I'll ask her." I heard his footsteps as he came towards me, but then he turned and met back with his detective. "Down at the crime scene, tell them to locate a snow globe. It'll probably be somewhere on the floor. Tell them to bring it back here for her. I think it might be the only real thing she has left that ties her to her parents."

I was in my own little world again, thinking of just who exactly I could stay with if I needed to. Bruce and I were friends, but it would be weird staying in his penthouse. Miranda and I were good enough friends that it wouldn't be weird. When the commissioner came over with a folded t shirt and what looked like some jeans, I told him to call Miranda. He handed me the clean clothes and directed me to the station's bathroom to change.

I gasped at my reflection in the mirror. My clothes were stained through, and blood covered my hands, and splattered the right side of my face. I tore the clothes off, replacing them with the one plain white shirt and jeans that barely fit. That was fine, because they didn't know my exact size. I scrubbed my skin raw, gagging at the smell. Dead. I smelled dead. I can definitely say that it was the first time in my entire life that I've ever wished I was dead. I really wanted to kill myself right then and there. It would have been so easy to break the mirror and slit my wrists with a piece of glass.

It was funny, thinking of killing myself. I had gone twenty six years, and the realization that I could end all of it in a couple of seconds humored me. It made me laugh louder than I expected to.

I was getting so lost in my thoughts that I scrubbed a bit too much at my arms. I had rubbed a lot of skin off, and it was bright red, both feeling like they were a fire waiting to be extinguished. I gathered the "evidence" as the commissioner had put it, and made my way back to where he was seated. He assured me Miranda had been called, and that she was on her way. After she arrived, we were there for a total of four hours; mainly composed of me being question and the periodical break down of crying. I eventually got the snow globe back also.

It was when we were about to leave when something caught my eye. The television was on, and GCN was on. They had full, live coverage of the murders, and reporters were in a frenzy at the scene. I felt Miranda try to tug me away, but I couldn't pull myself to look away from the screen, even as the video showed the bodies being dragged out on the gurneys. "C'mon, Jillien. You don't need to watch this."

"No," my voice was developing back into its original quality, but it still sounded gravely. "I want to see it." She backed off of me in that instant as I was glued to the screen.

"Eyewitnesses report hearing screams from within the home before the police arrived." A woman reporter announced. "Neighbors watched in horror as the daughter of the deceased was led out of the house, covered in blood. Earlier reports show that Ms. Harding had come home and stumbled upon her parents and immediately called 911." A pictured flashed on the screen after that, a horrible one of me secured in the wool blanket, drenched in blood.

A couple of the neighbors flashed onto the screen, an older couple with a woman holding a cat and her husband up behind her, his hands resting on her shoulders. "It's a terrible loss. I'm still in shock. My heart goes out to the daughter who had to find her parents like that." The woman, by the name of Sheila said.

"What I want to know," her husband started, "Is why she was covered in their blood. That just doesn't look right to me. It seems very suspicious."

My hand shot to my mouth. People wouldn't actually think I killed my parents, would they? I could never imagine doing such a terrible thing. They deserved to live, they were good people. They…. It should have been me, not them. That's all I have to say on the matter.

"Don't listen to them Jillien." Miranda comforted. "We know you wouldn't do a thing like that." I tried to smile at her, to tell her I appreciated her being there with me, but I was still shocked about what some of my old neighbors were thinking about me. "Hon, are you sure you don't want to call Jack? I'm sure you'd rather stay with him than at my place."

Jack? Jack. Not Jack. Joker. Oh wait, she doesn't know he's the Joker. "I don't know… I can't remember his number."

"Who's Jack?" I heard the commissioner question from behind.

"He's….."

"They're dating." Miranda interrupted. "I just thought maybe she'd want his company a little more than mine, since they've known each other almost all of their lives." I felt embarrassed at that thought. I definitely needed someone right now, but would he be the right one? Maybe…. Maybe….. "Do you remember his address? I'll be happy to drive you to him."

I was practically dragged outside, not having a chance to even respond yet. We were ultimately trampled by flocks of reporters, all them asking the same questions. "Did you murder your parents?" and, "Why did you do it Ms. Harding?" Microphones were thrown in my face, and I had no words to speak. I was utterly in shock.

"Back away, all of you!" The commissioner shouted. He had to bring in more reinforcement to relocate all of the reporters and their cameras, but within a couple of minutes, their incessant clicking of the cameras had stopped. "We'll call you when we have more information Ms. Harding."

"Thank you Commissioner."

He and the other detectives had left in a flash, leaving Miranda and I alone beside her car. "Jillien, are you sure you're going to be okay? I know how hard this must be for you."

"I don't know if I'll ever be okay Miranda." I gasped out. "I think I just really need a friend right now more than anything."

"Well, there's one." She pointed off into the distance. "I guess you won't need to be staying with me after all."

I turned to see who she was pointing to, knowing exactly who it would be. Without the grease paint of course. And I was right. I could see from where I stood that he was in regular people clothes, and his face was clean. I turned back to Miranda, giving her a tight hug. "Thank you for being here with me though. I really appreciate it."

I spun around from her, making my way towards him, who was casually leaning up against that black Camaro with the purple stripe, his hands in his pockets. He had guts to show up here like that.

I made my descent to him, slightly picking up my pace until I reached him. I was met with a warm embrace as he pulled me close to his chest. I could hear the pounding of his heart as I leaned my ear up to him. It was soothing. I knew I was safe with him. As long as I had him with me, nothing could touch me. I looked up at his scarred face, gently pressing my lips to his. It was in that moment that I realized he was the only thing I had left in my life. My only true friend. Without him I'd be lost. At that moment, I didn't care that he was the most notorious villain to ever walk the face of the earth. As crazy as it sounds, he was what I held onto to keep my sanity. Without him, I would have lost it. I clung onto him for dear life.

**SexyJokerLovers:** ** Aren't you guys glad the world didn't end on the 21st? Then you wouldn't have ever gotten to finish my story**. **Tee hee.** **I can't believe it's already 18 chapters. Be on the look out, chapter 19 will be up really soon.**


	19. What Is Love?

**SexyJokerLovers:********Guys, I feel like I'm losing all of my readers! I'm going to cry! No not really, I'll just** quietly sob in the corner. But, since boca3 is an awesome, faithful reader and reviewer, I'm going to let you name an upcoming character! Just PM me with any name you want. It can be either a boy or a girl so you have many options.

* * *

_You put your arms around me, and I believe that it's easier for you to let me go._

_I hope that you see right through my wall,_

_I hope that you catch me, cause' I'm already falling._

_I'll never let a love get so close,_

_You put your arms around me and I'm home._

_Arms by Christina Perri_

* * *

I didn't know what was going to happen, or what we were going to do. All I know is that I needed an escape, be whatever it may. My mind was shaking, which matched the rhythm of my hands. I tried to clear my head, but I couldn't help but feel like I was falling father away from the world around me.

I wasn't speaking a word, letting the Joker; well he didn't even feel like the Joker to me, drive us where ever. My eyes only gazed out the window, watching the pavements zip past the car. Dizziness soon followed, but I couldn't pull my eyes away from the outside. My head was soaring into places you could never even imagine, and I let a few tears fall freely from my eyes. I secretly wiped them away, avoiding bringing attention to myself.

"What are you thinking?" his voice broke through my thoughts.

I was gently tracing circles over the snow globe I had bought for them only hours ago. I didn't want him knowing what I was thinking. I didn't even know what I was thinking. I couldn't bring myself to look at him as I spoke, my throat aching more than ever, "I don't know. You, me." My voice was beginning to break, "The world. I'm just wondering why the world is so cruel."

I wrapped my hand around my mouth, quietly sobbing in the passenger's seat of the car. I tried to remain as discrete as possible, because I know he probably didn't want to hear me crying.

I was waiting for some witty remark on his part, but he remained silent from then on. That was, until we reached our destination. "Come on."

I looked around at unfamiliar territory. "Where are we?" I could make out that we were someplace in the narrows by the grotesque figuring of the buildings. I'm tried my best my whole Gotham life to stay away from the narrows, because nothing good ever came from this part of the city.

He never answered me, only roughly grabbing my wrists and pulling me out of the car. I felt a small pinch in my right arm, and as I glanced over I saw a needle slowly pour a clear substance into my arm. I let out a squeal, thoroughly confused as to what the heck was going on.

"Sh, sh, sh, sh." He snarled before yanking the syringe from my arm. "This is for your own good." I tried searching his eyes for a sign as to what he was doing, but he gave none. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words would come. I legs gave out after that, and I felt my entire body go limp. I watched helplessly as he lifted me off the ground, effortlessly cradling me into his chest and gradually getting closer to what looked like an abandonee building.

I was unable to move my head, so I was stuck looking up at him. My eyes were perched upon the scar on the right side of his face, the one that made a perfect curve into his glasgow smile. For some reason, I wanted to just reach up and touch it. I wondered how he had gotten it, and that was the last thing I remember envisioning before I fell unconscious.

* * *

You know, I never wanted to wake up after that. I didn't know where I was, or who was with me. I was placed on a small mattress in a cramped room, and I wished I could just sleep forever. That was until I felt the rope secure around my legs and hands, which were tied behind my back, and the grey duct tape the nestled across my mouth. Was this some kind of sexual shit?

I perked up nervously from the mattress, seriously confused as to what was going on. What did he think he was doing? What the hell was he going to accomplish by restraining me? I threw my thoughts away, and focused on the task at hand: Freeing myself.

I rolled off the mattress, landing on my stomach. I used most of the strength I was regaining to try and wiggle my hands free from the constriction of the rope, which had begun to cut the circulation off from my wrists. I somehow managed to get back to the position I was first in. lying face up on my back. I used my hands, still tied behind my back, to push myself up into a sitting position, and then used my legs to skid to the side of the room.

I leaned back against the confines of the room, resting my head on the wall while I caught my breath. The only airway that I was able to use was my nose, so it took a while to refill my lungs. I managed to pull my arms down over my bottom, an escape trick I learned when I was a kid, and then I pulled my legs through the gap between my arms.

It wasn't long before I was able to untie the rope that held my legs together. I was about to rip the tape from my mouth when the door burst open, revealing the all did up Joker.

"Now, now, now. Let's not do that." He stalked towards me, lowering himself to reach my level. He grabbed the piece of rope that was formerly attached to my legs, attempting to put it back. With a quick motion, I kicked him square in the jaw. I'm sorry, but didn't want to be effing tied up! He fell to the side, and I struggled to lift myself off the ground. My legs were still weak from whatever he had injected into my system, and as soon as I was up, I was down. My skull hit the wall, making me cry out within the duct tape. The corners of my eyes went into a hazy red color, and one lone tear fell from my eye.

He was laughing at my whole situation, and I could feel my cheeks swelling with heat from my embarrassment. He crawled back around to me as I ripped the tape off my mouth. It burned like hell, and I couldn't stop myself from screaming at him, "What the hell do you think you're doing?! This isn't what I had in mind when I said I needed a friend! Untie me!"

"Sorry beau-ti-ful, can't do that just yet." He squealed as he pulled me up with him. My knees buckled, so for better support I wrapped my arms around his neck to help him pick me up. A wide grin appeared on his face, "So that's how you want to play." He leaned into me, but I moved my head to the side, and he missed his mark completely.

He gave a low growl, and I turned back to face him, "Untie me and tell me why you're doing this."

"Oh, _dar_-ling." He snickered. I attempted to take my arms away from him, but he only held them down. "That would just take the _fun _out of everything." He pushed my arms away from his neck, bringing the piece of rope into my view.

"Don't. You. Dare." I snarled.

Pinning me against the wall, he did exactly the opposite. He stuck the rope into my mouth, then tied the ends together behind my head. He had my hands held down; otherwise I would have smacked him in the face. "Like I said before, this is for your own good." Out of no where, he snatched my waist and tossed me over his shoulder, the one that wasn't damaged from the fire. He not-so-carefully dropped me onto the mattress, "Babe, I think you need a nap."

"Don't call me babe." I tried to gripe, but all that came out was a jumbled mess of sounds. Some that didn't even sound human.

"What's that?" he giggled, licking his lips. "I'm sorry I don't speak that language." More giggles erupted from him as he shoved my shoulders down onto the mattress, climbing on top of me. I pounded against his chest, uncomfortable with the situation at the moment.

"What's the matter? Don't like this position?" I only glared at him. "That's too bad. Because I really enjoy it." He lowered his scarred lips, but a rapping came at the door, and he was forced to stop. I laughed through the rope. "They always come at the worst of times."

He hungrily licked his lips, like he was going to eat me or something, and hesitantly hopped off of me. He pried to door open, definitely hating the person who was banging. "Do I need to put a Do Not Disturb sign up? What. Is. It?

"We got em' boss." The man squealed. They got who?

The Joker slowly turned just his head in my direction. "Oh, _Hon_-ey! It's time for your Christmas present!" he sprang toward me, yanking me off the mattress, and untying both the rope from my mouth and my hands.

"What's going on?" I asked as soon as the rope was out. "Where are you taking me?"

The Joker pinched my shoulders, shoving down a small hallway, past a couple of stunned henchmen "Since Jill was such a good girl this year, she gets an _ex_-tra special gift." I opened my mouth to protest, but he only covered it with his purple glove. His free hand snaked around my waist, as if to make sure I wouldn't run away or anything. Or maybe he just wanted to see how much he could get away with. Needless to say, it sent shivers down my spine.

He finally stopped in front of a metal door, which looked to be bolted down. I ran my eyes along the sides of it before sneaking a few peaks to the side. I don't know why, but I didn't feel comfortable with the Joker's goons standing around watching us. Luckily though, they seemed to have dissipated.

I could feel his press against my back, and his hot breath clung to my ear, raising the hairs on the back of my neck. I wondered if we were ever going to open the door.

"Hold out your hands." He whispered. I did as I was told, moving them away from my body. Within seconds, some sort of pistol was thrust into my hands.

What on earth did he think he was doing? "What kind of gift is this?" I didn't want anything to do with weapons at the moment.

"Just close your eyes, and don't accidentally shoot me." He joked.

I really started to feel uncomfortable with the whole situation. Blinded, holding a gun. I heard the door creak open, and I felt his hand press against my back before he pushed me in. Blinded, holding a gun, in a strange room. I opened my eyes just as the Joker slammed the door shut.

There was a lone light in the room, which shone down on a person, a man to be exact, who was wear a full face mask. I couldn't see even an inch of skin past the mask, and had no idea who it was. Or why he had given me a gun. Then I put two and two together.

"No! Hell to the no!" I screamed in his face, turning back to him and motioning to give him back the gun. "What the hell do you want me to do? Shoot the guy?!"

"Yeah." Was his flat out response.

Needless to say I was completely shocked. I let my mouth fall open before I regained my composure, "I don't understand….. This is something you'd do. Not me." I could see the man; at least I think it was a man, shutter before us. "I'm not doing this. You can. I'm not a murderer."

"Fine," he remarked, pulling the gun from my hands. "I just thought you'd want to see the man who was responsible for what happened to your dear old mom and dad punished."

I spun around to see the masked man, not wanting to believe it. "How do you know it was him?" I asked angrily, letting a hot tear fall freely from my eye.

"I took control of the… situation. Everything led back to him." He gave a point to the man who was tied to a chair. The man was shaking his head feverishly, whimpering and mumbling underneath the mask.

Okay, so I was furious. This person that sat before me was the reason my parents had been bloodily murdered. The images of their lifeless bodies once again flashed through my mind. I wanted him to suffer, I wanted him dead.

I was startled suddenly when the Joker placed the gun in front of me. "Do. It. Now." He emphasized each word, slipping the gun between my fingers. He moved to the man, yanking the mask off of his face. I dark skinned man sat there, bound but a piece of tape, like I had previously been. He didn't look familiar to me.

The fiery tears were flowing down both sides of my face as I held the gun up, aimed directly at his head. I was so tempted to pull the trigger. My parents would be avenged in a way if I shot the man who killed them. I moved my index finger along the gun, meeting it with the end of the trigger. In less than a second he would be dead, but somehow I could bring myself to carry out his sentence.

"I can't." I whispered. "I'm not this kind of person." Relaxation fell over the man's face once he realized I wasn't going to kill him. "I just can't"

I felt the Joker's presence right behind me, "Jill, listen to me." I could hear the irritation he held as he spoke. "Your morals, this code you have, it's just a bad joke. Here, you'll be able to understand the world. No one will know. All you have to do is pull…."

"Enough!" I yelled, causing an echo throughout the entire room. "I'll know. It won't be the same anymore. I won't be the same…." I could feel the sweat mixed with tears drop down my cheeks.

"You'll be the better person, I _prom_-ise. Have I ever steered you wrong?" I felt his hands clench onto my shoulders, "You owe it to them. Only _you_ can bring them justice."

"Not like this."

"You wanted to know why the world is the way it is….. You'll know as soon as you pull the trigger….."

But I kept shaking my head no. This wasn't me. I just couldn't. "You do it. You're the killer here, not me." I spun around and thrust it into his hands, "But I'll watch."

I could sense his aggravation, but I didn't care. I was not killing this man, even if he's the one responsible for everything. The Joker reluctantly took a step beside me, and I latched onto his arm, my eyes flooding with tears. Every thing was slowing down as he raised the gun, aiming it right between the man's eyes. I watched silently as he squirmed, shaking his head violently, begging for mercy. The click came soon after, followed by the ear-piercing bang. The man before us fell backwards. Dead.

* * *

Jack Napier was cramming through the empty streets of Gotham, ready to kill anyone who got in his way. He had both a knife and a gun in his pocket, fiddling with them with one of his hands. The other hand was clenching the torn side of his face. The pain was steadily decreasing, becoming more of a numb feeling.

He kept thinking back to the two guys who were out looking for Jill. He needed to get to her first, to warn her, to explain everything, she'd understand. Nothing was going to happen to her… nothing.

He was going to have to permanently delete Jack Napier from the world. He would have to go through every file from every school, job, and hospital he'd ever been to. Jill would help with that for sure. He didn't know she would take him not wanting to exist anymore, but he knew she would help him. After all, they were best friends.

In no time, he made it to Jill's apartment. If he was lucky, her roommate wasn't there, and he could talk with her alone.

He quickly trotted up to her room, not running into anyone on the way. He leaned his ear against the door, trying to listen to see if anyone was home. He noticed the door was slightly open. He could hear a muffled voice, sounding like they were talking on the phone.

He peaked inside, finding Jill on her phone, sprawled over her couch. He waited for her to hang up, and when she left the room, he quietly waltzed inside.

He wasn't sure how he was going to tell what had happened or what was going to happen, but he knew he had to do it someway. He didn't know how she was going to react, and he was hesitant to tell her.

He shut the door, a little too loudly, for which she had heard. "Rebecca, is that you?" She asked. When He didn't answer, she called again. "Rebecca?" he still didn't answer, and when he heard her coming into the room, he turned around, hiding his face from her view. "Oh Jack! It's you. Jeez you almost gave me a heart attack. What are you doing back here? You ran off and didn't say anything."

He slowly swiveled to face her, revealing the grotesque left side of his face, which was a jagged slash up towards his ear. She wasn't expecting anything like that from him, and gasped aloud, dropping her books and taking a step back.

"Oh my god, Jack! Oh my god, oh my god! What happened? Who did this to you?" she felt queasy looking at his ripped flesh, but she pushed past the uneasiness, grabbing him and pulling him down onto the couch. She was holding back tears as her eyes roamed over the cut and the whack-job stitching that he seemed to do. She ran her hand along his face, trying to get a better look at his cuts. She felt the tears forming in her eyes. "Did you stitch yourself up?" He nodded. "Jack... You need to get to a doctor. These will scar, badly."

"It's no big deal." She said, trying to make her feel more comfortable.

Jill felt her jaw drop, "Jack, what do you mean this isn't a big deal? Look at your face! Who did this to you? I'll call the police….."

"No! It was just my….."

"Just your who?" she piped in when he trailed off.

It was now or never, so he explained everything. Almost. "My father. He was drinking. But it's okay. He's gone now."

"What do you mean he's gone?"

"I did what I had to. What I should have done the first time he hit me."

But she still was having trouble understanding. "What do you mean?"

"Are you really not un-der-stan-ding what I'm saying? I killed him. I took a knife and slashed his throat." A look of horror fell upon her face, like she had just seen a ghost. "He had friends who are going to…." He wasn't going to tell her what they were planning on doing. He didn't want her to know the truth. "I have to find his friends before they do something they are going to regret dearly."

Time seemed to slow down when she heard this. "What?! No you don't. Just report them. They'll be sent away. You can't do this Jack. You just can't."

"I can. And I will. You don't know... What they are going to do. They deserve what's coming to them." He paused. "I just wanted to tell you, in case something happens to me."

She felt her soul being crushed. The person who had been her best friend for so long had already killed someone, his own father to be exact, and now he was talking about killing more. He said he might not come back. How could this be happening to her? He wasn't the same Jack she'd known for so long.

He looked at her, tears streaming down her face. "But... I need your help with something first. I need you to help me erase Jack Napier from the world."

"No." She said flatly. "No. Not if you're going to do this." She grabbed his hand. "You're thinking of killing more people. And for what? Cutting up your face? They aren't even on the same level. You don't have to do this."

"Just please... Listen to me." He pleaded with her.

She couldn't take it anymore, her sadness turned to anger, and she exploded. "No! No! No! No! Jack... Get out. Get out now! I can't do this, you're making me sick."

She couldn't handle her best friend since they were nine turning into a monster. He was a full on murderer, and would never be the Jack she knew. She wanted to thrust him out of her life, and never wanted to see him again. She just couldn't handle any of it.

"Jill, just please hear me out." He begged.

She wiped away her tears, jumping up from the couch, turning her back on him. "Look. I won't tell anybody. But I can't be friends with someone like this." She just couldn't do it. "So please... Just leave. Don't come back. Ever."

He seethed with anger, balling his hands into fists. He didn't understand what her problem was, but because it was her, he complied. "Fine." He stormed out of her apartment, slamming the door behind him. If she didn't want him in her life anymore, he wasn't going to stand in her way.

He thought back to what she had said earlier as he walked down the street to where ever, "Jack, you really ought to smile more". He pulled the knife out of his pocket, pressing it to the right side of his cheek, "I'll give her a smile."

* * *

I should have been happy he was dead, right? Then man who had caused all my pain from the last couple of hours was dead. I should have been dancing for joy, but I wasn't. I've never watched someone die before. I've been around when some were killed, but I've never seen someone's life just leave their body. It was horrific.

I darted from the room, I didn't know where I was going, but I had to get out of there. This building wasn't that big thankfully, and I found my way outside. It wasn't what I remembered seeing when I was first brought here, so I assumed I ended up behind the building. I plopped on the ground, the cold December snow hitting me in the face, and it seemed to freeze the wetness on my cheeks. My fingers lightly grazed with blades of grass surrounding me, and I twirled them between my fingers.

I started to get that all too familiar feeling in my stomach, and it wasn't long before I was doubled over, waiting for the vomit to up heave. But it never came. I ended up just sitting there, staring off into the distance.

I was there for a couple of minutes, freezing cold with goose bumps all across my uncovered arms. Footsteps crunch the grass behind me. "What's the matter? I thought you'd be happy. He's dead." The Joker spoke angrily.

"I should huh? I should be jumping around, and bowing down to you because you just killed the guy responsible for murdering my parents." I hugged my chest, trying to get an ounce of warmth. "But I'm not. I know he got what he deserved, but I just feel wrong about it."

"Look, maybe we can talk about this inside…."

"I'm not going back in there while he lays there dead." I cut him off. "I'll stay out here all night if I have to. I would rather freeze to death than stay in a place with a person I watched just get killed."

I heard a loud sigh come from behind, but I didn't turn around. I couldn't even glance in his direction when he sat down next to me. I saw him shuffling out of the corner of my eye, and was soon met with the warm embrace of his purple jacket. I cuddled into it, taking in a deep scent of the mixture of gunpowder and sweat. "I just don't understand you." It's something that had been weighing in on my thoughts ever since we parted ways those years ago. "How can you just, just kill someone like it's nothing? What happened to you?" I finally had the guts to peep over at him, who was only staring at me inquisitively.

"Let's just say I had a bad day."

Well no shit Sherlock! "Tell me what happened after that night. You left with only one scar, then I see you later with two!"

It all happened so fast that I don't even recall being picked up at all, but some how my back ended up being slammed into the side of the building, with the Joker looming in my face, "You know what? I've noticed that there's no difference between me and everyone else!" his tongue darted to the corners of his mouth as he had me pinned. "All it takes is one bad day. That's how far the world is from where I am. Just one. Bad. Day." His eyes were wild, and I was genuinely terrified.

"You've had a bad day. Heck, you've had a bad month. Anyone willing to be standing with me right now is cer-tifi-ably nuts." I tried moving from his grasp, but he only held me tighter, "You just won't admit it! You have to keep pretending that life makes sense… that there's some point to all this struggling!"

"I... I know there's more to life than this." I finally spoke out. "We live, we laugh, and we love. We don't just struggle. We fight battles with the outside world, as well as within ourselves. But without that, we wouldn't have the great parts of life. Family, friends, lovers." He was looking at me differently after that, like I said something to make him question his sanity. "I just want to know why. I remember that you…."

"Remember? Oh I wouldn't do _that._" He brought his hand up, lightly brushing back a strand of my hair that had fallen into my eyes, "Remembering is dangerous. I find the past such a worrying, anxious place. One moment, you're lost in a carnival of delights. The next, it leads somewhere you don't want to go…. Memories can be vile, repulsive, like children I suppose."

He chuckled slowly, blowing his hot breath into my face, "But can we live without them? Memories are what our reason is based upon, if we can't face them, we deny reason itself. So… let's face the memories together. I'll tell you what happened to one Jack Napier all those years ago….."

I waited patiently for him to begin. I didn't know what to expect, but I wasn't scared. I had waited so long for him to tell me what it was that pushed him over the edge.

"Let's wind the clocks back four years. Little Jack Napier was not some happy go lucky kid. He worked for many bad _men_ in Gotham's under belly." He paused to lick his scarred lips, "And one night, he gets a hit to take out this guy…. who ended up being his own daddy dearest."

"So, he's there, ready to get the guy. When, out of nowhere, two big guys, friends with daddy, decide they want to come in and help out their _bud_-dy. They grab little Jack, but not before he gets in a few. They eventually get pinned down, but his pops wants the last laugh." He paused, reliving the memory, and I fought the urge to reach out to let him know he was okay.

"Anyway, his dad figures that since Jack had given his friends a few good ones, that it would only be fair to lay it down on one of his…." My eyes widened in realization of what that meant. "He told his buddies to find this one girl… who was particularly his best friend. They were going to bring her back there, and do the devil's deed to her. Jack, he just couldn't let that hap-pen. But sadly, he was still pinned to the ground, his sweet father hovering over him…."

I flinched as he reached into his jacket, which I was still wearing, and pulled out his signature knife. I didn't so much as take a breath as he slid it into my mouth. "Then, Daddy got real crazy." He licked his lips, "He sticks the blade in Jack's mouth and he… wait, you've heard this one before. Let's just skip ahead to the good part, shall we?" he pulled the knife from my mouth, causing a small squeal to escape.

"So Jack… he's got this jagged cut that extended from the corner of his lips and almost to his ear, and it hurts. Oh how much it hurt him. The pain was unbearable. But it wasn't as bad as what was going to come to him. You see, he went to the girl, to make sure she was okay and nothing had happened to her. Of course she was concerned about Jack, I mean, what friend wouldn't be?" he stopped for a moment, grabbing my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. "He decides to tell her what happened. He knows she'll understand, because she knows him better than he knows himself! But no, these stories never have a happy ending."

"She cringes at the thought of him killing people, even if it was to save. Her. Life." He was lightly shaking me as he spoke, "She told him she never wanted to see him again. And Jack, oh Jackie boy didn't take that too well. All he wanted was someone to understand him, someone to be there for him." The Joker seemed to be getting closer to me with each word, "As much as Jack never wanted to admit it, he _loved_ this girl. She was beautiful, still is. He cherished her. He remembered her saying something before, about how he should smile more. 'Okay.' He thought. 'I'll give her a smile.'"

He brought his knife up to his face, motioning it over the scars, "He brought the blade to his mouth, finishing what his father had started. Now he had a perfect grin. Now he would always be smiling."

If I understood correctly from his whole speech, this girl was why he became who he was now. I did it. I did everything. Him like this was all my fault. "So, it was all the girl's fault? She made him change. She's the one to blame." I didn't seem like it could be true. I didn't mean for it all to happen, I was hurting. It wasn't fair, to either of us.

"No, no, no. It wasn't _all_ because of her." He leaned in closer as the tears began to fall, "He'd been walking on the edge for a while, and was bound to fall off eventually. I guess you could say she just gave him a little push."

"She didn't know what she was doing. She was an emotional wreck. She didn't know. She's so sorry." It was a real tear jerking moment for me, knowing that I was partially responsible for his descent into madness. I leaned my head against his chest, hoping his steady breathing would somehow calm my nerves. "I think…." I dared saying what had then popped into my brain. "I think that girl…" I lifted my gaze to meet his creamy brown eyes, my heart beating rapidly, threatening to pop out of my chest. "She might have been feeling the same way about Jack. I think… that she still does."

That was all either of us said, staring at each other like it was the first time we'd seen each other in years. It led to me pulling him closer, grabbing his face with all my force and pressing our lips together. I brought my hands to the sides of his face, stroking his scars, one that his father caused, and the one that I did. It sent a tingle through my fingers and down into the pit of my stomach.

I don't quite recall how, but one thing led to another, and somehow we had ended up back in the abandoned building, alone in a different room attacking each other's faces. There was a bed in the corner of the room, and I knew where everything was headed. Not once did I try to stop it. I also knew many a henchmen had to be nearby, but luckily there were a dozen locks on the door.

I let his coat slip from my shoulders and onto the floor, while his hands roamed along my sides. It sent chills throughout my entire body, and I began fiddling with the buttons of his green waistcoat. It wasn't long before I was done with that and his hexagonal shirt, twirling my hand around his tie and pulling him even closer.

Hands round my waist, he lifted me into the air, and I wrapped my arms across his neck so I wouldn't fall backwards. Our mouths never separated as we were slowly sprawled out onto the bed, fighting for each others body. It was when my hands stretched across his neck that I felt the chain. We never parted, but I silently felt along it until I reached the bottom, the where the half-heart was attached. It brought a smile to my lips and into our kiss, and I accidentally let out a small chuckle.

I was funny to think about, me and him. We had been best friends for so long, and now this. After all these years, it just didn't seem real. And I then realized the fine line I was walking. I was sharing this moment with the Joker, the most notorious criminal in Gotham. If anyone was to find out, I would be thrown into a mental hospital. Oh well. I guess that's love, in it's own freakish, messed up way.

**SexyJokerLovers:**** I rewrote this chapter so many effing times! At first it was like, sex in a car. No, sex on a table! But then Mistah J wanted to go all old fashioned and have sex in a bed. Wherever it is, I can assure you it would be hot with the Joker. Oh the grease paint! **

**Oh, my birthday is a week from today, so I might just do something a little extra special for you guys still interested in the story. Love ya lots!  
**


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